The judge in charge of former president Donald Trump's criminal trial said the trial could start as early as Monday, as the process of choosing jurors sped up. Trump listened to potential jurors share their opinions about him, with some being straightforward, some cautious, and some humorous.
By the end of the day, seven jurors were sworn in, which is more than a third of the total needed for a full trial. If the judge maintains this pace, Trump's trial, facing charges of falsifying business records, could start in less than a week.
The Manhattan District Attorney accuses Trump of orchestrating a scheme to pay off an adult-film actress before the 2016 election to keep quiet about a past sexual encounter. The court needs to find 11 more jurors, providing more opportunities for potential jurors to share their thoughts on Trump.
During the selection process, some potential jurors insisted they could be fair despite being pressed about their political views. One juror from Mexico who became a U.S. citizen in 2017 said his feelings about becoming American during Trump's presidency wouldn't affect his judgment.
Another juror highlighted that Trump, like any defendant, has the right not to testify and that it shouldn't be seen as an admission of guilt. Trump's legal team raised concerns about potential jurors' social media posts showing bias.
A potential juror had written a post online about Trump losing a court battle over his travel ban, and then said "Get him out, and lock him up." When questioned about this, the man said he no longer believed Trump should be locked up. Another potential juror posted a video of people celebrating the 2020 election results in Upper Manhattan. She explained that she recorded it while parking her car and didn't think it would affect her judgment as a juror.
Some people in the jury pool had their social media posts questioned, but the judge dismissed one potential juror for showing hostility in her Facebook posts. The prosecutor reassured the jurors that their political beliefs wouldn't keep them off the jury, but they needed to be impartial in this case involving the former president.
The defense challenged a potential juror over her husband's social media posts from 2016, but the judge didn't find them concerning. Some potential jurors mentioned their past social media posts about politics, but said they had learned to be more neutral. One woman mentioned being targeted by Trump as a female, but said she didn't know much about the case. Another potential juror who works in cybersecurity mentioned dating a lawyer in a light-hearted moment during questioning.
