Jury selection for Donald Trump’s historic criminal trial continued today with 12 jurors and one alternate juror confirmed. The process faced setbacks when two jurors were removed earlier in the day. One juror was dismissed due to concerns about potential bias after receiving targeted attention from Fox News host Jesse Watters and a flurry of text messages. Another was excused for allegedly not being truthful on a jury questionnaire.
Prosecutors accused Trump of violating a gag order seven additional times, with a hearing on the issue set for next week. Judge Juan Merchan emphasized the importance of juror anonymity and advised the media against reporting physical descriptions of potential jurors.
The 12 jurors were sworn in to hear the case impartially, while the process of selecting five more alternate jurors will continue tomorrow morning. Judge Merchan remains hopeful that the trial will proceed to opening statements on Monday.
