Donald Trump found himself in a downtown Manhattan courtroom, facing a half-empty room as he faced being a criminal defendant for the first time. The empty rows of benches set aside for jurors served as a stark reminder of his new predicament. However, as the day progressed, the courtroom filled up with 96 potential jurors who may be selected to hear the hush money trial against the former president.
During the court session, Trump spoke only a few times, mainly confirming his understanding of his rights as a criminal defendant. He engaged with his attorneys throughout the day, whispering and sharing notes with them as they debated motions with the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. At times, he sat back and closed his eyes as Judge Juan Merchan went through the lengthy process of questioning each potential juror.
Upon leaving the courtroom for the day, Trump expressed his frustration to the media, claiming that the judge was not allowing him to attend an upcoming Supreme Court argument on presidential immunity and his son’s graduation. Trump’s presence in the courtroom was closely monitored by a small group of reporters and a sketch artist, who relayed information to the larger press pool watching on closed-circuit television screens in an overflow courtroom.
Throughout the proceedings, evidence was presented by the district attorney’s office, including snippets of deposition from a defamation case and Trump’s past tweets about Michael Cohen. Despite Trump’s high profile, most jurors did not visibly react to seeing him as the defendant in the case. As the judge addressed the prospective jurors, Trump observed closely and many potential jurors indicated that they could not be impartial in the trial.
Trump had to walk past Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who brought the case against him, as he entered and exited the courtroom. While Trump initially avoided looking in Bragg’s direction, he later acknowledged the prosecutor and the press pool as the jurors left the courtroom. As the trial continues, Merchan will continue questioning the remaining prospective jurors to determine who will ultimately sit on the jury that will decide Trump’s fate in the first criminal trial of a former president.
