The jury selection marathon begins: Dozens of prospective Trump jurors are ... trends now
The first trial of a former U.S. president began not with fireworks, angry polemic or theatrics.
It began with a moment of quiet solemnity as 96 prospective jurors were sworn in at Manhattan criminal court on Monday afternoon.
And then half were dismissed after admitting there was no possible way they could stop their strong feelings about Donald Trump getting in the way of a fair verdict.
Trump, whose norm-busting time in office has given way to a precedent shattering post-presidency, sat grim faced through much of the proceedings.
'You are about to participate in a trial by jury. The system of trial by jury is one the cornerstones of our judicial system,' Judge Juan Merchan told the dozens of potential jurors arrayed before him.
Former American President Donald Trump became the first former president to go on trial when a jury was sworn in on Monday afternoon in Manhattan criminal court
Trump gave a thumbs up to reporters as he left the courtroom during a break in proceedings
'The name of this case is the People of the State of New York vs. Donald Trump.'
As he described in broad brush strokes the basis of the case—that Trump fiddled business records to hide payments allegedly made to silence ex lovers ahead of the 2016 election—some of the jurors craned their necks to get a view of the blond-haired figure in front of them.
Trump stood and turned to look at them when Merchan introduced him and his legal team. The former president offered a tight-lipped smile as he surveyed the New Yorkers who could hold the fate of the 2024 election in their hands.
Merchan read a list of potential witnesses or other names that could come up during the trial, from Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal (two women at the center of the case) to family members such as Melania and Don Jr, to former Trump lawyers Rudy Giuliani and Michael Cohen, and officials in his White House such as Reince Priebus.
Finding a dozen men and women (plus alternates) who do not hold strong opinions about Trump or the witnesses will be hard. Especially in a liberal enclave like Manhattan where Trump won just 12 percent of the vote in 2020.
In fact the judge has set an easier task: Finding a dozen people who can set aside their feelings to decide a verdict on only the evidence before them.
Or maybe not.
When he asked the first batch of potential jurors whether they could not be impartial in the case, 50 immediately raised their hands and were excused.
Trump turned and craned his neck to watch them leave courtroom 1530, whispering to his lead lawyer Todd Blanche.
Trump with his legal team, from left to right: Todd Blanche, Emil Bove and Susan Necheles
Trump delivered a brief speech to journalists as he arrived for the first day of the hearing
In the hallway outside courtroom 1530, one of the departing jurors, a woman with short hair in her 30s, said: 'I just couldn't do it.'
Then it was down to the nitty gritty of picking jurors. One by one, they were asked to work through a questionnaire of 42 questions (some with multiple parts).
Sample question: 'Have you ever considered yourself a supporter of or belonged to any of the following: (the
