A year after Donald Trump was indicted and after months of legal battles and a barrage of attacks against key players in his case, the former president went on trial today.
The 45th president entered a Manhattan courtroom at about 9:30 a.m., wearing his trademark red tie, an American flag pin and a scowl. Moments earlier, he had given a brief speech in the corridor outside the court, denouncing the trial as politically motivated and a “prosecution like never before”.
“It’s an attack on America,” he said. “And that’s why I’m very proud to be here.”
Once inside the courtroom, however, Trump was far less cheerful, whispering to his lawyers, staring ahead and generally looking unhappy to be there. (Also, at one point he was seen nodding.)
He’s probably not the only defendant who fell asleep in a courtroom. But today, even jury duty — an often-prohibited, and sometimes outright civil obligation — had unusual excitement, with crowds and protesters chanting outside the courthouse at 100 Center Street as prospective jurors filed in, summoning in the hands.
I had arrived around 6:45 a.m., part of a large New York Times crew covering opening day. Already, anti-Trump protesters were holding handmade signs reading “Loser” and “Convict Trump Already.”
Trump supporters soon descended as well. A truck festooned with Trump flags, honking and blasting “Trump 2020,” drove past the courthouse and supporters of the former president gathered, decked out in red hats and Trump flags, American and other, including one that read “Trump or Death. “
Trump, 77, faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to his role in paying hush money to porn star Stormy Daniels in the days before the 2016 presidential election. Daniels says she and former president had sex in 2006. Trump denies this and the allegations against him, calling the trial a “witch hunt” orchestrated by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, a Democrat. (Bragg was present today, seated directly behind his team of prosecutors.)
Trump has also repeatedly attacked the judge in the case, Juan Mercan, accusing him of bias, in part because Mercan’s daughter worked as a Democratic political consultant. But this morning, Merchan rejected an attempt by Trump’s lawyers to force him to drop the case, one of a series of rulings that have largely favored prosecutors.
That included the judge’s ruling that Trump’s comments about the infamous Access Hollywood tape — in which he bragged about grabbing women’s genitalia — could be admitted into evidence. The judge won’t allow the actual tape to be played, saying it would be prejudicial.
He also rejected a prosecutor’s motion to allow the introduction of other sexual-assault allegations against Trump — which emerged after the Access Hollywood tape was reported — as hearsay. Such decisions, and the arguments about them, ate up the whole morning.
The search for jurors
The first group of 96 potential jurors finally took the stand around 2:30 p.m. All of them live in Manhattan, a borough in which 70 percent of voters are registered Democrats. Many of them craned their necks to catch a glimpse of Trump.
After an introduction by the judge, a large batch of them – several dozen – declared that they could not be fair and excused themselves. But finally, shortly after 3 p.m., the first group of 18 prospective jurors filed into the jury box and, one by one, began answering questions from a lengthy questionnaire.
These questions elicit everything from their educational backgrounds and neighborhoods to their news preferences and hobbies. More specifically, they also ask about their interactions with law enforcement, their connections to extremist groups, and views on impeaching Trump.
Of the few prospective jurors who answered questions today, most were professionals — a creative director, a salesperson — and reflected the city’s diversity as well as Manhattan’s relative affluence. A young black woman, the first to be questioned, quickly responded, citing her MBA and her love of eating out. Another prospective juror was of Irish descent—he had a faint brogue—and talked about his past as a waiter and how he loved the outdoors.
As my colleague Kate Christobek pointed out, few offered any deeper sentiments, though one man who identified himself as a bookseller said that “no one is above the law,” including former presidents. Another prospective juror, a nurse, said she received Trump’s emails several years ago but “unsubscribed.”
There were some moments of levity, such as when a young woman replied that one of her activities was clubbing. Dozens of journalists in the overflowing room laughed. Another prospective juror responded to a question about the radio programs he listened to by saying he listens to “whatever’s on when I’m in the shower.”
Early indications were that finding a jury could be a challenge. But the process was ongoing. The People of the State of New York v. Donald J. Trump — the unprecedented criminal trial of a former president — has begun.
And if today is any indication, it’s going to be wild.
Here is the group we have listed for the test. During the process, we’ll be sending you updates more frequently, including breaking alerts and our regular weekly analysis on Thursdays.
Your questions
We ask readers what they’d like to know about the Trump cases: the charges, the process, the major players, or anything else. You can send us your question by filling out this form.
Why did the Manhattan case take so long to go to trial, especially compared to the other three cases? — Joanne Kimata, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Jesse: The course — and timing — for Trump’s trial in Manhattan has actually been fairly smooth, and it will be the first to go to trial in four criminal cases in which the former president has been charged. Trump’s lawyers repeatedly asked for delays and were granted a three-week reprieve in March, pushing the start of the trial until today. But other recent attempts to stop it have failed.
What else to watch
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The Supreme Court will hear arguments tomorrow about the scope and propriety of an obstruction law at the center of Trump’s case in Washington on charges that he plotted to sway the 2020 election. The law has also been used against hundreds of Trump supporters who are accused of the January 6 attack on the Capitol.
Where is every criminal case?
Trump is at the center of at least four separate criminal investigations, both at the state and federal level, into matters related to his business and political career. Here lies each case.
