By CNN's Lauren del Valle and Jeremy Herb in court
Donald Trump's team is now challenging potential juror No. 6.
Judge Juan Merchan read a social media post Trump's team flagged from the juror.
"Want to beat Trump in 2024?" Merchan read the post in part. There's also a photo of display tables with a Biden-Harris poster on it.
Trump attorney Todd Blanche also raised two social media posts on Facebook from yesterday from this juror, where he was asked if he got picked and he said, "I have to go back tomorrow."
Judge Juan Merchan declines to dismiss a potential juror for cause or bring her in for questioning.
"These are posts from over 8 years ago, not involving the juror, involving the juror’s husband," he says.
"Honestly, if this is the worst thing that you were able to find about this juror — that her husband posted this humor, albeit not very good humor, from 8 years ago — it gives me confidence this juror can be fair," Merchan says.
"I'm not going to make further inquiry," Merchan said.
Former President Donald Trump is leaning back in his chair. He turned to his lawyer Emil Bove and made a remark when Merchan made that ruling.
Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass said that the social media posts in question are jokes and not an indication of bias.
"It is not necessarily as weighty as it's being suggested," he says.
Judge Juan Merchan is starting to get tired of the approach of former President Donald Trump's attorneys of challenging every juror's social media posts.
Merchan said the court is not going to keep doing this. "If you have the goods on someone you need to politely and respectfully" ask them about it, he said.
Merchan notes that Trump attorney Todd Blanche could have asked this juror about her family member's posts during "voir dire," the earlier portion of questioning.
Donald Trump's team is now challenging juror No. 3.
Defense attorney Todd Blanche raised three social media posts of memes. One of the posts is a picture of Trump and Obama from 2016, with the caption: "I don’t think this is what they meant when they said orange is the new black."
Judge Juan Merchan says that the potential juror's social media post about the travel ban being unlawful was acceptable, but it also contained the language "lock him up."
"This is a person who expressed ... a desire that Donald Trump be locked up," Merchan says, even though he notes that it was a few years ago.
Merchan read the post: "Goodness !! Trump lost his court battle on his unlawful travel ban!!"
"If it ended there, I wouldn’t really have a major problem with it," the judge said. "Then it continues 'get him out' and 'lock him up.'"
Merchan said "everyone knows" there's a potential jail sentence for Trump if he's convicted, so he could be "locked up."
The judge is striking potential juror No. 2 for cause.
Trump's team found social media posts from the juror referencing Trump that say, “Get him out” and “Lock him up."
The prospective juror whose Facebook posts are in question said he can "set all the prior feelings aside" about the former president.
The potential juror being questioned now was a middle-aged man who lives in Midtown and works as a creative director.
The juror confirmed the social media account in question is his.
Trump attorney Todd Blanche asked whether he has recollection of this post. The man said he does not but it's on his account so it's his post.
