Donald Trump trial not a referendum on his presidency, prosecutor tells prospective jurors
NEW YORK — Donald Trump’s criminal trial on charges stemming from hush money paid to a porn star is not a referendum on his presidency, a prosecutor told prospective jurors on Tuesday in asking whether they could put personal politics aside.
Trump’s defence lawyer, in his opportunity to question prospective jurors, pressed them for their opinions on the former U.S. president.
Jury selection for Trump’s trial got underway on Monday. He faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to cover up a hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels shortly before the 2016 election. Daniels says she had a sexual encounter with Trump about a decade beforehand.
Trump has pleaded not guilty and denies an encounter took place. The Republican presidential candidate has called the case, brought by Democratic Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, a partisan witch hunt meant to interfere with his campaign to unseat President Joe Biden, a Democrat, in the Nov. 5 election.
Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Joshua Steinglass told the 18 prospective jurors who remained of an initial pool of 96 that the case had nothing to do with their personal politics.
“This case is really not about whether you like Donald Trump,” Steinglass said. “This case is about the rule of law and whether Donald Trump broke it.”
The proceedings so far have underscored the challenges of choosing a jury of 12 residents of heavily Democratic Manhattan who can try the case fairly and impartially.
Roughly half of 96 potential jurors summoned Monday were dismissed after saying they could not impartially judge the polarizing businessman-turned-politician. Those who remained largely said they could put any opinions they have aside and be fair to both sides.
“I don’t think it matters what my political beliefs are, or in relation to the defendant,” said one woman, a high school teacher who lives on Manhattan’s Upper West Side and enjoys reading and hiking.
Trump’s defence lawyer Todd Blanche, in his chance to question jurors, said he did not care about jurors’ politics but wanted to get a sense of whether they could be fair to Trump as an individual.
“It’s extraordinarily important to President Trump that we know that we’re going to get a fair shake,” Blanche said.