6:48 PM EDT
Trump campaigns at Harlem bodega after spending Tuesday in court
BY JILL COLVINShare
Donald Trump has arrived at a Harlem bodega for a campaign stop after his second day in court.
Hundreds of onlookers were waiting as his motorcade arrived outside the Sanaa Convenient Store, a location chosen for him to spotlight his campaign messages on crime and inflation.
Trump pumped his fist and shook hands with some supporters. He joined them as they chanted “four more years!” before heading into the bodega. He came out after a few minutes and said, “They want law and order.”
6:45 PM EDT
AP Fact Check: Trump says Judge Merchan won’t let him attend his son’s graduation, but no ruling has been made
BY MELISSA GOLDINShare
As he left court following the trial’s first day, Trump said of Merchan, “it looks like the judge will not let me go to the graduation of my son.”
Trump furthered his criticism on his Truth Social platform, writing in one post both that he “will likely not be allowed to attend” and that “the Judge, Juan Merchan, is preventing me from proudly attending my son’s Graduation.”
Social media users quickly parroted Trump’s claims.
But Merchan has not yet ruled on the matter.
Trump’s lawyers requested on Monday that the trial not be held on May 17 so that the former president may be at the ceremony. A Trump lawyer also requested the trial not be held June 3 so that he can attend his own son’s graduation.
Merchan said he was not prepared to issue a decision on either request, but noted that if the trial proceeds as planned he’s willing to adjourn for one or both days. “It really depends on how we’re doing on time and where we are in the trial,” he said.
? Read the AP’s full fact check on Trump’s claims.
6:30 PM EDT
Few Americans trust prosecutors, jurors or judges to treat Trump fairly
BY AMELIA THOMSON-DEVEAUX, THOMAS BEAUMONTShare
Only about 2 in 10 Americans are extremely or very confident that the judges and jurors in the cases against Trump can be fair and impartial, according to a new poll from the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. A similar share say they’re confident that the U.S. Supreme Court can be fair and impartial in Trump-related cases.
This skepticism about whether the legal system can treat Trump evenhandedly extends to prosecutors, too — the poll found that only 3 in 10 Americans think that the state or federal prosecutors are treating Trump fairly when it comes to the cases they’re bringing against him.
“It’s very obvious political persecution,” said Christopher Ruff, a 46-year-old political independent and museum curator from Sanford, North Carolina. “I’m no fan of Trump in any way, shape or form. Didn’t vote for him, never will. But it’s obviously all political.”
? Read more about our latest poll.
5:44 PM EDT
One potential juror touched on Central Park five, TV host Merv Griffin
BY MICHAEL R. SISAK, JENNIFER PELTZ, RUTH BROWNShare
Asked what he thought about Trump, one potential juror appeared to reference the Central Park five — the five teens who were wrongly convicted of rape in 1989 and later exonerated.
“Going back to Central Park, I knew some of the kids, their cousins,” said the potential juror, who previously worked as a civilian for New York City law enforcement.
He added that he does know people have a right to purchase an advertisement in a newspaper. Trump took out full-page ads at the time calling for the five to receive the death penalty.
The man also suggested that he may have been asked to serve on a previous jury involving Trump and Merv Griffin, another TV host and entrepreneur. In the late 1980s, the two battled for controlof Resorts, the company that was building what would become the Taj Mahal casino.
The prospective juror was later dismissed.
5:40 PM EDT
Court has wrapped for the day
BY MICHAEL R. SISAKShare
On his way out of the courthouse, Trump once again stopped in the hallway to rail against the case to reporters.
“We are going to continue our fight against this judge,” he said, accusing Judge Merchan of “rushing” the trial.
5:37 PM EDT
A 7th juror has been sworn in
BY MICHAEL R. SISAKShare
A lawyer originally from North Carolina was selected as the seventh juror for Trump’s trial. He’s married and has two children and enjoys spending time outdoors.
5:18 PM EDT
Trump remains alert and engaged
BY JAKE OFFENHARTZShare
Nearing the end of a long day, Trump remained alert and engaged, whispering at length to his attorney, Todd Blanche, just before Blanche stood up to question three more potential jurors.
Blanche began with the same question he’d asked previous prospective jurors: What are your views about the former president?
5:06 PM EDT
3 more jurors excused
BY MICHAEL R. SISAKShare
Three of the last six prospective jurors from the first panel have been excused. Lawyers are now questioning the three remaining.
The last person excused was a man who said he’d love to serve as a juror for “our great city and one of our great presidents,” but that he couldn’t give up his job for six weeks.
4:55 PM EDT
New York City Mayor Eric Adams visits courthouse to ‘inspect’ police presence
BY KAREN MATTHEWSShare
New York City Mayor Eric Adams said Tuesday that court officers and police officers were doing a good job of maintaining order outside the courthouse where jury selection for Trump’s trial was proceeding.
“Justice is going to take its course here in the city but the name of the game is to make sure we minimize our resources, and I think no one does it better than our law enforcement apparatus, knowing how to control big events, making sure it’s done right,” Adams said.
The Democratic mayor visited the area across the street from the courthouse and said he wanted to make sure that police resources were being allocated appropriately because “you have to inspect what you expect.”
Adams checked out the courthouse scene after a news conference nearby at City Hall.
4:44 PM EDT
After court, Trump will go to campaign at a bodega in Harlem
BY JILL COLVINShare
Once he’s done with court for the day, Trump will head uptown to Harlem where he’ll stop by a bodega where a clerk stabbed a man to death after he was attacked over a bag of chips.
Jose Alba, a former clerk at the store, was initially charged with murder for the 2022 incident.
District Attorney Alvin Bragg eventually dropped the charges amid criticism. Critics said he should have done so sooner.
People eager to catch a glimpse of the former president have been gathering outside the tiny Convenient Store where Trump is expected to address reporters once court lets out.
4:41 PM EDT
More jurors are now answering the extensive standard 42-part questionnaire
BY JAKE OFFENHARTZShare
The last six prospective jurors from the first panel are now moving through the questionnaire. The first, a medical doctor, was dismissed because she said she couldn’t commit to a lengthy trial. The second, a high school history teacher living in Harlem, was dismissed as well after acknowledging she had strong beliefs about Trump that could prevent her from being neutral. “As I’m sitting here reflecting deeply, I do have concerns, yes your honor,” she said.
4:20 PM EDT
Donald Trump has returned to the courtroom
BY MIKE BALSAMOShare
He gave a quick wave and thumbs up as he walked back into the court.
4:12 PM EDT
The judge has called a brief recess
BY MIKE BALSAMOShare
Trump left the courtroom after Judge Merchan called a recess for about 10 minutes. Trump held numerous file folders and papers in his hands as he left the courtroom with his legal team. Attorneys in the case are expected to question additional potential jurors when the court session resumes.
4:07 PM EDT
Another panel was sworn in as potential jurors
BY JENNIFER PELTZShare
Some in the set of 96 people looked around curiously as they passed the half-dozen journalists and a sketch artist in the back row.
“Ma’am, ma’am put your cell phone away,” a court security officer told one panelist after she saw Trump and tried to pull out her phone.
They were sworn in, vowing to truthfully answer all questions. They were then sent home for the day.
“I know that you’ve been sitting around all day, waiting for something to happen, and I want you to know that that wasn’t lost on us,” Judge Merchan said, telling them that things would start right away when they return Thursday morning.
The rest of the afternoon will pivot to the questioning of six people from the first panel.
4:02 PM EDT
Judge Merchan denied an effort by Trump’s attorneys to remove another potential juror over social media posts
BY JENNIFER PELTZ, JAKE OFFENHARTZShare
One of the three posts included a link to a satirical piece in The New Yorker with the headline “Republicans Projected to Pick up Seventy Seats in Prison.”
Following a pattern that has defined the afternoon, the woman was called into the courtroom and asked to confirm the posts belonged to her, which she did. She acknowledged having “big disagreements” with the former president, but said it would not impact her ability to be impartial.
Merchan agreed, characterizing the three posts as satire. “None of them expresses the sentiment we saw in some others, a desire to see your client locked up or beheaded or something or other of that nature,” he tells Trump’s lawyer Todd Blanche, adding that the prospective juror was forthcoming about her political disagreements with Trump.”
The question is not whether someone agrees with your client politically or not. The question is whether or not they can be fair and impartial,” the judge said
3:56 PM EDT
The six selected jurors have been sworn in
BY MICHAEL R. SISAKShare
“This will be your permanent seat for the duration of the trial,” Judge Merchan told the jurors as they took their places in the jury box.
The jurors stood up and all raised their right hands. The panelists selected are an IT worker, an English teacher, an oncology nurse, a sales professional, a software engineer and a corporate lawyer.
3:37 PM EDT
6 total jurors have now been selected
BY MICHAEL R. SISAKShare
Another three jurors have been added, bringing the total to six.
The jurors are picked by process of elimination in a system that will repeat until a full jury is selected: Eighteen prospective jurors are brought to the jury box, then lawyers move to have certain prospective jurors eliminated “for cause.” They then eliminate some with peremptory challenges, which don’t require a reason.
Those remaining become jurors for the trial.
3:16 PM EDT
3 jurors have been selected for Trump’s trial
BY MICHAEL R. SISAKShare
Fifteen more jurors still need to be selected.
3:11 PM EDT
Merchan dismisses prospective juror over social media post
BY JAKE OFFENHARTZShare
Judge Merchan has dismissed a potential juror after Trump’s attorneys raised concerns about a 2017 Facebook post, which they said was shared by the man, celebrating a court decision against one of the Republican’s presidential policies.
Part of the post read, “Get him out and lock him up!”
The man was called into the courtroom and acknowledged the post was from his account, though he said he didn’t remember sharing it.
If Trump is found guilty in the hush money case, a potential sentence could include jail time, the judge said.
“I don’t think I can allow this juror to remain,” Merchan said.
3:04 PM EDT
Merchan denied a motion from Trump’s lawyers to strike a prospective juror whose Facebook posts were flagged by the defense
BY MICHAEL R. SISAK, JAKE OFFENHARTZShare
Trump’s attorney had said one post showed the prospective juror celebrating Trump’s loss in the 2020 election, but the woman said it was just of people she come across people dancing in the street that night while moving her car.
“It seemed like a celebratory moment in New York City,” she said, noting it reminded her of the 7 p.m. cheer for health care workers during the pandemic.
“I don’t see anything here that’s offensive,” Merchan said. “More importantly the juror stood here right in front of me, I was able to see her demeanor … I was able to form an opinion as to her credibility.”
2:46 PM EDT
Judge admonishes Trump
BY MICHAEL SISAKShare
Judge Juan Merchan admonished Trump for speaking loudly and gesturing while a prospective juror was being questioned about Facebook posts she made regarding his 2020 election loss.
“Before we continue, I just want to put something on the record. Mr. Blanche, while the juror was at the podium, your client was audibly uttering something,” Merchan said after the prospective juror left the courtroom, referring to lawyer Todd Blanche.
“I don’t know what he was uttering, but it was audible and he was gesturing and he was speaking in the direction of the juror. I won’t tolerate that. I will not tolerate any jurors being intimidated in this courtroom.”
Merchan then instructed Blanche to “take a minute and speak to your client about it.”
2:34 PM EDT
Judge to allow attorneys to question prospective jurors about social media posts
BY JAKE OFFENHARTZShare
With prospective jurors not yet back in the room, Trump lawyer Todd Blanche tells the judge that he has found a number of social media posts he says come from possible jurors that are “very much contrary to the answers they gave.”
As an example, he shows the judge a Facebook post that he said was from a prospective juror’s account and described going to a Manhattan dance party to celebrate Trump’s loss in the last election.
Judge Merchan says he’s going to ask the juror to come in and allow attorneys to ask her questions about it.
2:23 PM EDT
Trump returns as lunch break ends
BY RUTH BROWNShare
The former president flashed a thumbs up as he walked past a camera in the hallway.
1:29 PM EDT
Day two of the trial brings the same answer from the White House: Biden is too busy to pay attention
BY DARLENE SUPERVILLEShare
“The president is going to Pennsylvania today and he’s going to do a three-stop tour,” said White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre as Biden flew to Scranton. “He’s going to focus on how he’s continuing to help the American people and you’ll hear directly from him today. That’s his focus. His focus is on the American people.”
1:28 PM EDT
WATCH: Trump railed against hush money trial as he stepped into New York courtroom this morningShare
Earlier, Donald Trump returned to a New York courtroom as jury selection in his historic hush money trial entered a second day.
1:15 PM EDT
Court breaks for lunch as Trump team weighs prospective jurorsShare
Court has broken for lunch for an hour. Just before the break, Trump and his lawyers went to a nearby courtroom to begin deciding which prospective jurors they’d want to remove using peremptory challenges.
Upon returning to the courtroom a short time later, lawyer Todd Blanche said they needed more time. Judge Merchan said they’d have until after the lunch break to decide.
