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Donald Trump arrived at a courthouse in Manhattan on Monday morning as jury selection was set to begin in the first-ever criminal trial against a former US president.
Hundreds of Manhattan residents will be questioned about their political views and media habits by the judge overseeing the so-called hush money case, marking the beginning of what is expected to be a six-week trial for the presumptive Republican nominee for the White House.
The case was the first criminal indictment brought against Trump, who was accused last year of falsifying records of payments made to buy the silence of porn star Stormy Daniels in the run-up to the 2016 presidential election. Daniels had alleged that she had an affair with Trump years earlier, which the billionaire has always denied.
The 77-year-old continues to face three other criminal cases, over his alleged attempt to thwart the results of the 2020 election and the retention of classified documents.
Trump arrived at the courthouse just after 9am amid heavy security in downtown Manhattan. Hundreds of police lined the perimeter of the New York courthouse, and a small number of protesters — both for and against the former president — waved signs outside.
A pool of hundreds of potential jurors will be individually asked a total of 42 questions by the court. They include queries on whether individuals get their news from left-leaning outlets such as MSNBC, or right-leaning media such as Fox News, and whether they have ever attended a Trump rally or been a supporter of fringe movements such as QAnon.
Lawyers for Trump get a certain number of “strikes” against potential jurors they do not want on the panel, as do counsel for the Manhattan district attorney, who brought the case. Ultimately, 12 jurors and a number of alternates will be selected.
The trial comes just as campaigning for the presidential election in November kicks into high gear. In a press conference on Friday, Trump called the jury selection process “largely luck” and said it was “very unfair” that he was facing trial in a heavily Democratic district. Trump’s lawyers had previously attempted to move the trial to another jurisdiction.
Trump added that he would “absolutely” testify in his own defence at trial, saying “all I can do is tell the truth”.
Additional reporting by Steff Chávez in Washington
Emily Foster is a globe-trotting journalist based in the UK. Her articles offer readers a global perspective on international events, exploring complex geopolitical issues and providing a nuanced view of the world’s most pressing challenges.
