The first six jurors were selected in former President Donald Trump’s hush money trial on Tuesday afternoon, whittled down from a potential 96 potential candidates.
More than 50 were turned away on Monday after they said they could not be impartial.
However, at least several who were not dismissed Monday and remained as potential jurors until Tuesday had made social media posts that were negative towards Trump.
For example, one potential juror had posted or reposted on social media, “Republicans projected to pick up 70 seats in prison.” That juror had also said she had lost sleep the night before on whether she could be fair or impartial. She was not one of the six jurors selected.
Another potential juror had just last month, on March 27, posted a parody video, generated by artificial intelligence, titled “I’m dumb as f-ck,” featuring Trump. That potential juror was also not selected.
Another potential juror admitted he sells buttons to raise money for a political action committee that supports get out the vote efforts for “grassroots organizations,” but said the PAC did not support a specific party.
However, when asked whether he had a critical view of Trump, he responded, “Politically, yes I do.” He was not selected.
Another potential juror had posted on social media: “Good news!! Trump lost his court battle on his unlawful travel ban!!!” and “Get him out, and lock him up.” That juror was not selected.
He was described as a middle-aged white man with thinning hair and black, thick-rimmed glasses. When asked whether he still believed Trump should be locked-up, he said, “No.”
Trump looked towards him with a smirk, according to a pool report from inside the courtroom.
It is not clear why the potential jurors did not raise their hands on Monday when asked if they thought they could not be impartial.
One woman, with straight shoulder-length grey hair and black glasses, who was questioned about a critical social media post of Trump, said the post was “probably” hers but that she did not remember.
Former Bush deputy assistant attorney general John Yoo told Fox News it was “pretty extraordinary” that half of the jury pool said they were so biased against Trump that they could not serve on the jury.
“That’s only going to feed into, I think, Donald Trump’s claim that the public integrity of the courts and the prosecutors is to be questioned as being biased and unfair against them,” he said.
According to Reuters, the six jurors selected included a man originally from Ireland who enjoys doing “anything outdoorsy” and watches both MSNBC and Fox News, a woman who works as an oncology nurse and enjoys taking her dog to the park, and a corporate lawyer who said he does not follow the news that closely.
Another 96 potential jurors were brought in on Tuesday.
Another six jurors and six alternatives will be selected over the coming days.
The case is New York v. Trump, No. 71543-23, in the New York Supreme Court for New York County.
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