Associated Press
He seems “selfish and self-serving,” said one woman.
The way he carries himself in public “leaves something to be desired,” said another.
His “negative rhetoric and bias,” said another man, is what is “most harmful.”
Over the past week, Donald Trump has been forced to sit inside a frigid New York courtroom and listen to a parade of potential jurors in his criminal hush money trial share their unvarnished assessments of him.
It’s been a dramatic departure for the former President and presumptive GOP nominee, who is accustomed to spending his days in a cocoon of cheering crowds and constant adulation. Now a criminal defendant, Trump will instead spend the next several weeks subjected to strict rules that strip him of control over everything from what he is permitted to say to the temperature of the room.
“He’s the object of derision. It’s his nightmare. He can’t control the script. He can’t control the cinematography. He can’t control what’s being said about him. And the outcome could go in a direction he really doesn’t want,” said Tim O’Brien, a Trump biographer and critic.
New Yorkers who said they couldn’t approach the case fairly were excused during jury selection. But one of the women with the harshest assessments of him will be among those who will determine his fate on 34 counts of falsifying business records.
“I don’t like his persona, how he presents himself in public,” said the woman, who has lived in upper Manhattan for the last 15 years. The woman said she didn’t agree with some of Trump’s politics, which she called “outrageous.”
“He just seems very selfish and self-serving, so I don’t really appreciate that in any public servant,” she said, adding that while she doesn’t “know him as a person,” how he “portrays himself in public, it just seems to me it is not my cup of tea.”
Trump’s legal team took issue with her responses, but they were out of challenges by the time she was up for consideration.
Judge Juan Manuel Merchan has withheld the names of prospective jurors for safety concerns.
On Friday, one prospective juror, who said she had attended the 2017 Women’s March protesting Trump’s inauguration, complained of the influence he has over his base.
“I think his rhetoric at times enables people to feel as if they have permission to discriminate or act on their negative impulses,” she said, citing people she has heard make homophobic or racist comments. Still, she said she didn’t have strong feelings about the former president and wasn’t sure of his current policy positions.
Another man said he’d grown up admiring the former president and business mogul’s real estate portfolio and even thinking he might someday live in Trump Tower. But he had come to oppose Trump’s “negative rhetoric and bias against people that he speaks about.”
At other times, lawyers read aloud social media posts from prospective jurors mocking Trump and celebrating his defeats.
One prospective juror, an older white woman, was struck from the jury pool by the judge after Trump’s legal team uncovered years-old social media posts that described Trump as a “racist, sexist” narcissist.
One of Trump’s attorneys called the posts “vitriolic.”
“She harbors a deep hatred for him,” said the lawyer, Susan Necheles. “She said that ’I wouldn’t believe Donald Trump if his tongue were notarized’” and that he was “anathema” to everything she was taught about love.
Confronted with the posts inside the courtroom, the juror said she understood why they’d be concerning to the defense, but her views had evolved. “Election policies can get pretty spicy and Mr. Trump can get pretty spicy,” she said.
Merchan, the judge, also dismissed a man who in 2017 had shared a Facebook post celebrating the defeat of one of Trump’s policies in court. “Get him out and lock him up!” it read in part.
Court rules require Trump to be present throughout the trial. He can’t storm out of the courtroom like he did during a recent defamation trial. He is also barred by a gag order from attacking any of the jurors, including on his Truth Social platform.
He has already been admonished by Merchan for audibly uttering something and gesturing while one juror was answering questions.
“I will not tolerate any jurors being intimidated in this courtroom,” said Merchan, who previously warned Trump he could be sent to jail for engaging in disruptive behavior in court.
Trump’s assessments in the courthouse weren’t all bad, however, with a perhaps surprising number of potential jurors saying they had no strong opinions about one of the best known and most divisive men on the planet.
In fact, the process seemed to reveal more supporters than might be expected in a borough where President Joe Biden captured 87% of the vote in 2020.
One potential juror Thursday who spoke of Trump in glowing terms said he was “impressed” with Trump’s career as a successful businessman.
“I mean he was our president, pretty amazing. He is a businessman in New York. He has forged his way, you know, he made kind of history in terms of like where he started and where he has become,” said the man, who said he saw his own story similarly.
On Tuesday, another man expressed regret that he couldn’t juggle the trial with his job.
“Your Honor, as much as I would love to serve for New York and one of our great Presidents, I could not give up my job for six-plus weeks,” he said.
Many said they had read his book “The Art of the Deal.”
Even the woman who criticized his persona and ended up on the jury anyway acknowledged his appeal to voters.
“Sometimes the way he may carry himself in public leaves something to be desired. At the same time, I can relate to sometimes being a bit unfiltered,” she said. “I see him speak to a lot of people in America. I think there is something to be said about that.”
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Republished with permission of the Associated Press.
20 comments
Earl Pitts "RON'S OFFICIAL "UNOFFICIAL VPOTUS CAMPAIGN MANAGER" American
April 20, 2024 at 5:14 pm
Good evening Dook Detractors of The Donald,
He is taking mental notes and none of you detractors, or your families, will prosper under the first 4 years of the Trump Administration or under the subesequant 8 years of The DeSantis Adninistration.
In fact many of you will be on a 12 year Resort Vacation at our newly remodeled Resort AKA “Guntanimo Bay” …..Enjoy,
Earl Pitts American
*queue EXTRA LOUD PATRIOTIC USA USA USA MUSIC to drive the point home in ALL DOOK 4 BRAINS LEFTIST BRAINS*
Speedy Gonzalez
April 20, 2024 at 5:24 pm
Good news Senior Earl,
SloPoke says can we apply as tour guides down there in GITMO? (after we are done protecting Bill Marr from Those Dooks). We both, SloPoke and me, used to work for the fentanyal cartels and we know abouts lots of stuffs above and beyond simple car battery jumper cables to nippels and genetilla to make these unamerica dooks stay down there at gitmo memorable very memorable.
SloPoke and I live to serve.
Speedy Juan Gonzalaz
rick whitaker
April 20, 2024 at 8:13 pm
ANOTHER RACIST POST BY THE SPHINCTER MAN POSING AS A HISPANIC
George
April 20, 2024 at 8:10 pm
You’re boring.
rick whitaker
April 20, 2024 at 8:12 pm
CRAZY RACIST POST BY THE SPHINCTER MAN, EARL SHITS
More uneducated odd nonsense
April 21, 2024 at 11:31 am
“Queue”? Really?
Dont Say FLA
April 20, 2024 at 5:36 pm
How could anybody promise to treat him fairly when everybody knows he’ll be railing against all jurors and court personnel as having treated him “so unfairly”
The man will absolutely claim everyone treated him so unfairly, so how and why would or could anyone at all ever actually treat him fairly?
rick whitaker
April 20, 2024 at 8:09 pm
DSF, a toddler pitching a fit, is usually treated like a toddler pitching a fit, they are ignored as much as possible.
Earl Pitts "RON'S OFFICIAL "UNOFFICIAL VPOTUS CAMPAIGN MANAGER" American
April 20, 2024 at 8:38 pm
Rick, DSF IS MY, Earl Pitts American’s Increadably Beautiful and Beloved Son/Daughter.
Just a reminder when you applied for the position of my Wacky Lefty Contrarian Commenter you agreed to Love and Respect DSF as if you were interacting with your Sage Boss-Man, ME, Earl Pitts American.
Thanks Rick …. from now forward both Earl & Rick shall worship the ground my “Beloved” DSF walks upon.
Thanks Rick and DSW ya know Dad loves you Always & Forever …
Baby your Daddy feels a “Song” cumming on …. I’ll call you my Queen and sing it right into your ear … “Always And Forever DSF and Earl …. each moment with you ….. is just like a dream to meee ….. that somehow came true …..
Love ya my Beloved Off-Spring,
Dad
rick whitaker
April 20, 2024 at 10:20 pm
EARL SHITS, PSYCHACTRIC HOSPITAL ESCAPEE
Dont Say FLA
April 21, 2024 at 8:46 am
DSW? That’s the cheapo shoe store where ma used to blow all her lottery winnings. Imma assume that’s a typo and you do know me from a shoe store, dad. HUGZ
BTW i don’t think Rick was dissing me. He was dissing Trump as the toddler to be ignored. At least that is how I read it. Rick usually seems to be okay despite his issue in not recognizing the value you bring to the world as a human and the value you bring here as a commenter too.
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April 20, 2024 at 7:55 pm
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Earl Pitts "RON'S OFFICIAL "UNOFFICIAL VPOTUS CAMPAIGN MANAGER" American
April 20, 2024 at 7:57 pm
Good evening America,
STAND BY FOR SAGE BREAKING NEWS:
America ….. now the “DOOK 4 BRAINS LEFT” is pushing to have Donald “THE DONALD” Trumps Seceret Service Protection Detail Removed so they can kiII The Sage Donald with no whitness’s
Well guess what Dooks; I , Earl Pitts American, have our “Boys” Speedy & SloPoke watching “The Donald” 24/7.
DREAM ON FOOLS, YOU ARE UP AGAINST ME, Earl Pitts American,.Thank you Anerica,
EPA
Michael K
April 20, 2024 at 8:41 pm
New Yorkers know him better than the rest of America for the liar, cheat, and shyster that he is. He has stiffed thousands of contractors and not paid his debts – that is his MO. His fake foundation and fake university are just the tip of the fraud iceberg.
Tom
April 21, 2024 at 10:54 am
I worked on Wall Street during the 90’s and he was always considered a fool. Even politically, he started as a Republican, in 1999 he went Independant, in 2001 he became a Democrat, in 2009 he went back to Republican, in 2011 he was ‘no party affiliation then in 2012 he was a Republican again. His only real commitment is to lining his own pockets which is finally catching up to him and I can’t say I’m sorry to see it.
The devil
April 21, 2024 at 12:20 am
What the fuk are these garbage attacks….
PETE
Checking in as promised
I’ve been severely compromised
But not as badly as I expected
Check in later this week to give status on my freedom
With every passing hour it’s looking up for me
My Take
April 21, 2024 at 12:55 am
If Trump goes under–more likely from a deranged berzerker complete breakdown in the trial than anything political– how long would it take DeScamus to jump back in?
Dont Say FLA
April 21, 2024 at 8:50 am
I like how every Trump Trial will start as a Trump Roast.
Prospective jurors in all other cases, prepare your roasts of Trump!
Anybody gets called for jury duty at a time and in a place where Trump will be on trial and your jury duty is at the right kind of court for his numerous charges, PLEASE have a roast ready for him JIC you’re on his jury!
If you don’t prepare your tRump Roast beforehand, it’ll be too late by the time you find out you’re on his trial and you will forever regret having showed up without a scathing Roast of tRump.
Ocean Joe
April 21, 2024 at 5:45 pm
Trump should monetize the event, and follow up with an ‘Insult Trump’ call in number, raise some cash with Trump surrogates at a call center, taking insults and making money legitimately instead of hawking Bibles.
Dont Say FLA
April 23, 2024 at 4:27 pm
Trump should follow George Santos lead and put himself out for hire, reading whatever you submit for Trump to read for the low low price of $250. Big words will incur additional fees, of course.