During the second day of jury selection for former President Donald Trump's criminal trial on Tuesday, a prospective juror shocked people gathered at the courthouse when he brought up tragedies and violent assaults that he said were committed against members of this family.
According to a Newsweek reporter on the scene, an audible gasp was heard from people in the Manhattan court's overflow room when the man mentioned personal details such as his daughter being the victim of a violent sexual assault and a former girlfriend being mugged and punched in the face.
On Monday, Trump became the first former president in United States history to stand trial in a criminal case. Following an investigation by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg office, Trump was indicted in March 2023 on charges of falsifying business records relating to hush money payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels during his 2016 presidential campaign. Daniels alleged that she had an affair with Trump in 2006, which he has denied.
Trump, the presumptive 2024 Republican presidential nominee, has pleaded not guilty to all charges and has said the case is politically motivated against him.
The prospective juror began his selection interview on Tuesday by saying he's originally from Boston and has worked for 25 years in sales and revenue for software.
He also said he's read Trump's books, The Art of the Deal and How to Get Rich. This response elicited a smile and a nod from Trump himself. The man also said he enjoyed podcasts, books, and traveling before he revealed details that surprised people in attendance.
He said he has been held at knifepoint, had a girlfriend who was mugged and punched in the face; his mother was a victim of assault, and his daughter was a victim of a "violent" sexual assault.
Despite what happened to his daughter, the man said he has a generally favorable view of the U.S. justice system.
Elsewhere in his interview, the prospective juror said that he and his current wife are members of American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)—an activism organization sometimes portrayed as left-leaning—before revealing relatives on his wife's side of the family are Republican lobbyists.
He added that he followed Trump on X (formerly Twitter) when the former president was in the White House.
The jury selection process is expected to take several days as many prospective jurors could continue to be excused. Court will not be in session on Wednesdays throughout the duration of the hush money trial.
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Jon Jackson is an Associate Editor at Newsweek based in New York. His focus is on reporting on the Ukraine ... Read more
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