Day 2 of Trump New York hush money trial

If you’re just catching up, here are the takeaways from day 2 of the Trump hush money trial:

We have (more than half) a jury: So far four men and three women have been selected to serve on the jury. A man originally from Ireland who works in sales in New York City was appointed as the jury foreperson, who essentially serves as the panel spokesperson. Five of the seven have a college degree or higher education. Two men on the panel are lawyers. All but one juror empaneled Tuesday indicated that they’re aware Trump is facing charges in other criminal cases. The woman was the only one of the 18 jurors questioned who said she wasn’t aware of the other charges. None of them shared particularly strong views about Trump or politics.

Trump’s lawyers scrutinize jurors’ social media: Trump’s side asked the judge to remove five jurors for cause, pointing to alleged anti-Trump social media posts and trying to argue that the jurors were unfairly biased against the former president. When the former president’s attorney Todd Blanche was questioning the jurors, he asked them one by one what they thought of Trump, outside of the case. He then tried to argue before the judge that many of the jurors’ answers that they didn’t have an opinion of Trump did not align with their social media. Judge Juan Merchan was generally skeptical but he did agree on two counts that the jurors should be struck. As for the three jurors Merchan did not strike: Trump’s side used its preemptory challenges to remove all of them anyway. After Tuesday, both Trump’s team and the district attorney’s office have four peremptory challenges left.

Trump gets admonished (again): Trump was admonished for his conduct when Merchan brought in one of the jurors individually to discuss her social media posts raised by Trump’s team. After the juror left the courtroom, Merchan raised his voice and admonished Trump, saying he was audibly speaking and gesturing in the direction of the juror. “I will not have any jurors intimidated in the courtroom,” Merchan told Blanche, raising his voice.

Jury selection could end – maybe – by the end of the week: One of the things Merchan has emphasized this week is that the court schedule is fluid. But the judge is hoping to wrap up jury selection this week. After swearing in the seven jurors Tuesday, Merchan told them he hopes they could return next Monday for opening statements – but he emphasized that the schedule could always change and the court would be in touch.

No cameras are allowed inside the Manhattan courtroom where Donald Trump’s hush money is underway, but sketch artists captured Tuesday’s proceedings.

Former President Donald Trump sits beside his lawyer Todd Blanche on the second day of jury selection in his criminal trial in Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City on April 16.

Former President Donald Trump sits at the defense table beside his lawyer Emil Bove.

President Donald Trump sits while his lawyer Todd Blanche, right, speaks.

Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass questions potential jurors as former President Donald Trump and defense lawyer Todd Blanche listen.

Former President Donald Trump said he would decide after the trial if he thought the seven jurors who were seated Tuesday in his New York criminal hush money case could be fair.

Seven people have so far been seated on the jury.

The court is not in session Wednesday, and jury selection will continue Thursday until a panel of 12 New Yorkers and likely six alternates has been selected.

Former President Donald Trump said he does not think he violated the gag order prohibiting him from talking about witnesses in his New York criminal hush money trial. It comes after prosecutors asked Judge Juan Merchan to sanction Trump for what they say are violations.

Prosecutor Chris Conroy on Monday asked Merchan to hold Trump in contempt for violating the gag order and sanction Trump $1,000 for each of three social media posts he made that prosecutors say violate the order 

Former President Donald Trump's motorcade outside of the Fulton County Jail in Atlanta, Georgia, on Thursday, August 24.

The hush money criminal trial against former President Donald Trump is one of four criminal cases he faces while juggling his presidential campaign.

The former president is facing at least 88 charges over the four criminal indictments in Georgia, New York, Washington, DC, and Florida. Trump has pleaded not guilty to every charge in these cases. 

Here’s a recap of each case: 

Read more about the four criminal cases Trump faces. 

CNN’s Laura Coates and former US attorney Michael Moore took viewer questions about the trial yesterday.

Among them:

“What can prosecutors do to prevent a Trump supporter from using this opportunity to lie their way into the jury? Are there investigations allowed or penalties if such a juror is exposed once the trial begins?” - Rich from Colorado

Coates says:

Watch more answers to your questions here.

 As we end the second day of former President Donald Trump’s criminal trial with seven jurors seated, he’s where both sides stand on peremptory strikes:

Attorneys can also argue to strike jurors for cause, which the defense did successfully twice on Tuesday. 

Court resumes Thursday: There is no court on Wednesdays.

Donald Trump departs from Manhattan criminal court in New York, on April 16.

Seven people have been seated on the jury in the hush money trial against former President Donald Trump in Manhattan. Court is not in session Wednesday, and jury selection will continue Thursday until a panel of 12 New Yorkers and likely six alternates has been selected.

But before anyone was seated Tuesday, jurors went through the questionnaire phase in which they were questioned by the district attorney’s office and Trump’s lawyers. As jurors spoke, Trump was frequently seen flipping through the jury questionnaire, often leaning back in his chair.

Trump attorney Todd Blanche challenged several prospective jurors, calling for some to be dismissed for cause due to social media posts.

Remember: Each side has 10 peremptory strikes to remove a juror from the pool — no questions asked. In the instances in which either side is successful in dismissing a potential juror for cause, it does not have to use a strike.

Both the prosecution and defense have each used six preemptive strikes. This means each side has four strikes left.

These were some of the challenges:

Who are the jurors? An oncology nurse, a corporate lawyer, an English teacher: What we know about the seven seated jurors.

Trump and the judge: Merchan gave the former president a stern warning for visibly and audibly reacting to one of the potential jurors in court. “I will not have any jurors intimidated in the courtroom,” the judge said after the potential juror left.

Looking ahead: The next batch of 96 potential jurors was sworn in Tuesday and dismissed until Thursday morning.

Seven jurors have been seated in Donald Trump’s hush money criminal trial so far today. Here’s what we know about them:

This post has been updated with information about the seventh juror.

Donald Trump, while leaving court for the day, called Judge Juan Merchan “conflicted.”

Trump also commented on the pace of trial so far after seven jurors were chosen in the first two days.

Merchan is “rushing this trial. And he’s doing as much as he can for the Democrats. This is a Biden-inspired witch hunt and it should end,” Trump added.

Facts First: There is no basis for Trump’s claims. There is no evidence that Biden, his White House or his Justice Department has had any role in launching or running Bragg’s case, let alone that Biden operatives are issuing secret commands in the case - and Bragg is a locally elected official who does not report to the federal government.

The post was updated with more comments from Trump on the trial and the fact check on his remarks.

The court has adjourned for the day.

The seventh juror seated today has been sworn in.

Judge Juan Merchan said that he is “hopeful we’ll be ready to go Monday morning” with the trial, though he shrugged as he said it.

A total of seven jurors have been selected to serve on the jury. One of the people questioned in this final batch of potential jurors was added to the panel.

Six were selected earlier today.

Judge Juan Merchan has asked the potential jurors to step outside the courtroom after they were questioned by Donald Trump’s lawyers and prosecutors.

In questioning, one of the prospective jurors underscored the seriousness of this trial.

Donald Trump attorney Todd Blanche started his questions by asking the prospective juror who works in real estate — and who said he knows people who knows Trump — whether he has a favorable or unfavorable view of the former president.

The juror responded that it was a “loaded question” as there’s a “lot of history” there.

“I’d say there are things that I disagree with, and things I think were done well during his presidency,” the potential juror said. “I wouldn’t classify it as favorable or unfavorable. But I think things are favorable and other things that are unfavorable.”

Prosecutors just wrapped up questioning today’s final prospective jurors. Donald Trump attorney Todd Blanche is now up.

Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger asked a potential juror who said he has friends who have committed crimes if he’d hear from a witness in this trial who also committed crimes, Michael Cohen.

She asked the juror whether that would keep him from having an open mind to what Cohen has to say.

She followed up by asking whether his feelings about keeping an open mind might change with Cohen changing his story when he pleaded guilty.

“No, I was a corrections officer in New York City, so I’ve heard it all,” he said when asked if that would be a concern.

Donald Trump has been watching the smaller pool of jurors as they are asked questions by the district attorney’s office.

He’s sitting back in his chair and turned toward the jury box, occasionally whispering with his attorney Emil Bove.

Former President Donald Trump will have dinner with Polish President Andrzej Duda at Trump Tower on Wednesday, according to a campaign official.

Trump is in New York for his criminal hush money trial, but the court is not in session on Wednesdays. The former president is expected the spend the day holding meetings, the campaign said.

Bloomberg was first to report on the dinner with Duda.