We’re wrapping up our live coverage of Trump’s hush-money trial for the day.
For more on today’s developments:
Donald Trump has yet again decried the proceedings in New York as a “witch- hunt”, a term the former president has returned to repeatedly to describe his legal troubles.
“This is really a concerted witch-hunt, very simple,” Trump said to reporters on Friday afternoon after the trial wrapped for the day.
The former president complained of his treatment in New York, criticizing the judges who heard his earlier New York civil fraud trial and defamation case, and describing the hush-money trial as an “outrage” designed to hurt his campaign for the White House.
Trump has routinely used his legal troubles to rally supporters and spread conspiracy theories.
Updated
Reuters has more details about the 12 jurors and six alternates who have been selected in Trump’s hush money trial, which will be the first criminal trial in history of a former US president
There are seven men and five women on the jury. They are mostly employed in white-collar professions and the jury includes two corporate lawyers, a software engineer, a speech therapist and an English teacher. Most are not native New Yorkers, and instead hail from across the United States and countries such as Ireland and Lebanon.
The Guardian has more information on the jury:
Updated
Summary
Here is where the day stands:
After days of jury selection, the court has finally chosen all 12 jurors and 6 alternate jurors who will decide the fate of Donald Trump in his historic criminal trial. The selection of all 18 jurors came not without setbacks, as judge Juan Merchan dismissed two seated jurors earlier this week over identity and credibility concerns.
Judge Juan Merchan told Donald Trump’s defense team – which has repeatedly challenged and re-challenged rulings he has made – to stop trying to have another bite at the apple. “At this point, what’s happened is defense is literally targeting individual decisions, one by one by one by one, and filing pre-motion letters,” Merchan said, adding that opening statements are going to happen on Monday morning.
The prosecutors previously submitted documents indicating that they wanted to ask Donald Trump about a variety of trials should he testify, to challenge his credibility as a witness. These include sexual assault accuser E. Jean Carroll’s defamation cases against him. As the hearing progressed, Trump’s attorney Emil Bove said that asking Trump about the verdict in Carroll’s cases on cross-examination would be “unacceptable.”
A man set himself on fire outside the Manhattan criminal court where Donald Trump’s criminal trial was under way. The man has been identified as Maxwell Azarello who was born in 1987. According to his driver’s license, he is from St Augustine, Florida.
Maxwell Azarello has been described as a “conspiracy theorist” by police and had pamphlets on scene which police described as “propaganda-based.” He is in critical condition at Weill Cornell’s burn unit.
House Democrats came to the rescue of Mike Johnson, the Republican speaker, in a rare move for a committee that normally votes along party lines, in order to save the Ukraine aid legislation from rightwing rebels. Johnson now looks set to push forward this weekend on a $95bn aid bill for Kyiv, Israel, Taiwan and other allies, which has stalled in the House after passing the Senate.
Court has ended for the day.
It will resume on Monday when opening statements are expected to take place.
Judge Juan Merchan is telling Donald Trump’s defense team – which has repeatedly challenged and re-challenged rulings he has made – to stop trying to have another bite at the apple.
“At this point, what’s happened is defense is literally targeting individual decisions, one by one by one by one, and filing pre-motion letters,” Merchan said.
“As the people suggested a minute ago, that has to end. There comes a point when you accept my rulings,” Merchan said, adding that proceedings were not going to be bogged down.
“We’re going to have opening statements Monday morning,” Merchan said, “This trial is starting.”
The prosecutors previously submitted documents indicating that they wanted to ask Donald Trump about a variety of trials should he testify, to challenge his credibility as a witness.
These include sexual assault accuser E. Jean Carroll’s defamation cases against him. As the hearing progressed, Trump’s attorney Emil Bove said that asking Trump about the verdict in Carroll’s cases on cross-examination would be “unacceptable.”
Bove, who reiterated Trump’s denial of Carroll’s claim and said it “very much did not happen,” said the allegations were “too far back in time” to be used in any potential challenge to Trump’s credibility.
Moreover, Bove argued, “To bring up Ms Carroll’s allegations at this trial sort of pushes the salaciousness on to another level. This is a case about documents.”
The prosecution insisted: “That’s critical, critical evidence that the jury ought to be able to consider…if he testifies.”
Right now, the prosecution and defense are squaring off over what Donald Trump could be asked by prosecutors during cross-examination if he took the witness stand.
NYPD: 'we do not believe this was targeting any particular person or a particular group'
“We do have a vehicle identified that’s connected to him. We’re currently searching that car,” police said.
“We do not believe this was targeting any particular person or a particular group. We just right now labelled him as a sort of conspiracy theorist and we’ll go from there but the investigation will continue,” police added.
Updated
“All of his social media is going to be scrubbed. Obviously we didn’t know him prior to this incident,” police said.
Police added, “As of right now, he’s very critical. His condition is not good” and went on to say that they did not see any criminal history of Maxwell Azarello in New York.
Police also said Maxwell Azarello did not breach security protocols but noted, “Of course we’re going to review our security protocols.”
“We’ll talk with our federal partners and we’ll make decisions if we need to tighten up security. Maybe we’ll shut down the park. That is something that will determine once we talk with all our partners,” police added.
Speaking about the pamphlets found at the scene, police said that the “pamphlets seem to be propaganda-based, almost like a conspiracy theory type of pamphlets.”
Police added that they spoke to Maxwell Azarello’s family members who said that they were unaware “that he was even in New York.”
Police also said they believe Azarello arrived in New York “some time earlier in the week.”
Man who set self on fire is alive in critical condition, police say
NYPD is now briefing the press about the man who is in the Weill Cornell burn unit in critical condition.
The man has been identified as Maxwell Azarello who was born in 1987. According to his driver’s license, he is from St Augustine, Florida.
According to police, the accelerant that was used “appears to be some kind of alcohol-based substance that’s used for cleaning.”
Updated
New York police is set to deliver a press conference soon on the latest incident outside the courthouse involving the man who appeared to have set himself on fire.
We will bring you the latest updates.
Court officer injured while attempting to help man on fire
“Court officers rushed to aid the man, one of the was injured” from smoke inhalation, a court official said.
The injured officer was taken to the hospital.
Court will continue as scheduled.
Updated
Here are some images coming through the newswires from around the courthouse:
Updated
Reuters is reporting that one of the pamphlets near the scene of the incident referred to “evil billionaires”.
The pamphlet also appeared to call on people to “expose this corruption”. Reuters added that the portion that was visible to a Reuters witness did not mention Donald Trump.
Updated
Another bystander said:
I’ve been hanging around, seeing if I could find out what the flyers were but he had nothing on his T-shirt, nothing identifiable.”
Updated
A law enforcement officer outside court said:
“To me it looked like a bonfire, it was almost that high. My partner said: ‘It was a human.’”
His reaction upon realizing what was happening was: “Holy shit.”
Updated
The bystander, Louie M, continued recounting the incident, saying:
“There was a well-dressed guy. I think he was going to throw his jacket on him to maybe put out the flame. I couldn’t get near him.”
Another bystander who identified himself as Louie M said:
I turn around and I see the guy’s on fire. It’s horrible. I hope he makes it … I don’t think I ever saw him before.”
Louie M, who was carrying a US flag, said that he was rallying at the park “for America”.
It happened so fast. A poor Chinese lady, she was crying. She was horrified,” he added.
Updated
'It's just shocking': bystander describes chaotic scene outside courthouse
One bystander described the incident, saying:
He made a noise and he threw all those pamphlets. I don’t know if the cops will ever release that but those pamphlets have the answers of whatever the hell…convinced himself to kill himself…
It’s just shocking. I mean, I couldn’t do anything. It’s honestly hard to even process in your brain. There’s some people crying in the park… There’s just nothing you can do. He’s burning himself …”
Updated
There is a pile of charred material from which a small amount of smoke appears to be drifting.
The air has a somewhat charred scent.
Across the street from the courthouse, police are gathered examining the area where a man set himself aflame during proceedings.
Person apparently sets self on fire outside courthouse
A person appears to have set themself on fire outside the Manhattan criminal court where Donald Trump’s criminal trial is under way.
Videos online appeared to show the person being engulfed in flames as authorities including New York police rushed to extinguish the flames.
Updated
A “totally charred human being” is seen outside the Manhattan criminal court, CNN reports.
The outlet reports a stretcher and first responders on scene, in addition to flames and smoke.
More details to come.
The sixth chosen alternate jurors are currently being sworn in.
Judge Juan Merchan said: “Jurors we’ve now completed jury selection for this case.”
Updated
All six alternate jurors chosen
After days of jury selection, the court has finally chosen all 12 jurors and 6 alternate jurors who will decide the fate of Donald Trump in his historic criminal trial.
The selection of all 18 jurors came not without setbacks, as judge Juan Merchan dismissed two seated jurors earlier this week over identity and credibility concerns.
With the jury bench now full, the trial is expected to move towards opening statements next week.
Fifth alternate juror chosen
A fifth alternate juror has been chosen.
One more left to go.
Here are some images coming through the newswires from the Manhattan courthouse:
Fourth alternate juror chosen
A fourth alternate juror has been chosen.
The court now needs to just fill up two more alternate seats.
Third alternate juror chosen
A third alternate juror has been chosen, just minutes after the confirmation of the second alternate juror.
Three more alternate seats are left to be filled.
Second alternate juror chosen
Another alternate juror has been chosen.
Four alternate juror seats still to be filled.
One prospective alternate, asked about his thoughts on Donald Trump, said: “He’s a person, a politician, a businessman – I think that’s why people are kind of struggling with this question.”
“I really like lower taxes, in this country, I like lower regulation for businesses,” he said, during which Trump seemed to shake his head in agreement.
“I want more jobs through the information technology.” However, he said, “When you think about the Republican party and why we need to bring religion into people’s lives and women’s rights to their own bodies, it’s too much.”
“But, if you take it altogether on president Trump, I will say neutral, leaning positive,” he said.
Susan Necheles, one of Trump’s lawyers, said:
It’s important for the government, but it’s very important for president Trump.
Donald Trump appears to be looking at Necheles as she addresses prospective alternates.
“She talked a lot about what she thinks are the facts of the case … that’s her opinion, that’s what she thinks,” Necheles said of prosecutor Susan Hoffinger’s address to jurors.
Is there anyone here who would have a problem putting aside what you heard Ms Hoffinger was saying or Mr Steinglass was saying?
During this process, another prospective alternate juror expressed nervousness. “I’m getting the same anxiety and self-doubt.” She was excused.
Updated
And now it’s the defense’s term to question prospective alternates. Susan Necheles is conducting the questioning:
I appreciate the candor that you’ve shown to this courtroom.
The questioning of potential alternates paused momentarily. One potential juror sounded as if she broke into tears when prosecutor Susan Hoffinger started to ask her a question.
I feel so nervous and anxious right now, I’m sorry. I thought I could do this, but I wouldn’t want someone who feels this way to judge my case, either. This is so much more stressful than I thought it would be.
After conferring with both sides, judge Juan Merchan ultimately excused her.
Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger is now addressing and questioning potential alternates.
This is not about Mr Trump being a former president. It’s not about his being a candidate for the presidency. It’s not about his popularity. And it’s not about who you vote for or who you might vote for in the fall ...
Is there anybody here, sitting here now, who feels that because of his position, because of what his position was and what it is now, that somehow you feel you should prove more than what the law requires – proof beyond a reasonable doubt.
Court resumes after short break with selection of jury alternates
The court has resumed after a short break, with five alternate jurors yet to be selected.
Donald Trump is back in the courtroom seated at the defense table next to his lawyers in the chilly Manhattan courthouse. So far today the former president has demanded a court-imposed gag order be removed, appeared to doze off in court and watched as potential alternate jurors answered questions.
A full jury of 12 people and one of six alternate jurors was seated on Thursday.
Updated
The Ukraine aid legislation is the latest in a series of must-pass bipartisan measures that the speaker, Mike Johnson, has helped shepherd through Congress, including two huge spending bills and a controversial reauthorization of federal surveillance programs.
The dramatic action took place on Capitol Hill on Thursday night as, on Friday morning Antony Blinken, the secretary of state, warned that if US aid was further delayed for Ukraine “there is a real risk it will arrive too late” to help the grinding resistance to Russia’s invasion.
Johnson has won praise from Republican centrists and even Democrats by taking the line that he is doing “the right thing” on the aid legislation even if it brings challenges to his position from his own party, which has the power very easily to force a vote to oust him.
Johnson got a boost from Donald Trump last week when they held an event together at the former president’s residence in Florida and, again, on Thursday when Trump made a post on social media that did not actively oppose aid for Ukraine.
Trump appeared to warm to the idea after having dinner with Andrzej Duda, Poland’s far-right president, in New York on Tuesday, with Poland very wary about the power of an emboldened neighbor Russia to threaten eastern Europe.
House Democrats rescue Mike Johnson to save $95bn aid bill for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan
House Democrats came to the rescue of Mike Johnson, the Republican speaker, in a rare move for a committee that normally votes along party lines, in order to save the Ukraine aid legislation from rightwing rebels.
Johnson now looks set to push forward this weekend on a $95bn aid bill for Kyiv, Israel, Taiwan and other allies, which has stalled in the House after passing the Senate. This despite a firestorm of protest from hardline Republicans that could lead to an attempt to oust him. The House is expected to vote as early as Saturday on the aid legislation that provides $61bn to address the conflict in Ukraine, including $23bn to replenish US weapons, stocks and facilities; $26bn for Israel, including $9.1bn for humanitarian needs, and $8.12bn for the Indo-Pacific.
Republicans hold a narrow House majority, 218-213 , a margin so scant that Mike Gallagher is postponing his mid-session retirement, originally set for Friday, so the Republican representative can be present to vote for the bill.
On Thursday night, the four Democrats on the House rules committee voted with five Republicans to advance the aid package that Johnson has devised, agreeing procedures, which could now go forward to a vote on the House floor on Friday ahead of voting on the legislation itself.
The rules committee would normally be a safely partisan affair for the Republican majority, but Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Ralph Norman of South Carolina and Chip Roy of Texas, all on the far right, are voting against advancing the bill, prompting Democrats to step in to save it. Kevin McCarthy, the former speaker, put them on the committee to placate the far-right contingent of his caucus in the House.
Oftentimes, potential jurors’ candor makes for an entertaining selection process.
One described his relationship status as “not married, never been married, no kids,” and then said shortly thereafter:
I’m trying to find a wife in my spare time, it’s not working.
Perhaps his singledom would make things easier if chosen to carry out this civic duty. The potential alternate juror told the court:
I can stay as long as you need me to.
And then sometimes, would-be jurors reveal things that are just a bit weird. On Friday, one man said he cleans his local dog park twice daily, describing it as meditation.
Prosecutors with the Manhattan district attorney’s office have accused Donald Trump of violating a gag order and urged the court to find him in contempt.
Prosecutors filed their argument on Thursday accusing the former president of violating the order seven more times, in addition to another filing earlier this week, which accused him of violating the order on three other previous occasions.
On Monday, prosecutors asked judge Juan Merchan to find Trump $1,000 per social media post they said violated the judge’s gag order limiting what he can say publicly about witnesses.
Trump’s “decision to specifically target individuals whom this Court’s order protects is a deliberate flouting of this Court’s directives,” prosecutor Chris Conroy wrote in his filing on Thursday.
Merchan will decide on the request at a hearing scheduled for Tuesday 23 April.
Trump railed against the court-imposed gag order this morning before he headed inside the courtroom, saying that it has to “come off … People are allowed to speak about me and I have a gag order, just to show you how much more unfair it is.”
There were a few instances where Donald Trump seemed more reactive than at other points during the process.
Trump immediately looked over to one prospective alternate when he started speaking and looked back at him a few more times, per a pool report.
This was a juror who wound up saying: “Citizens United is the law of the land” and that he wants the source of the political contributions to be public.
Another possible alternate juror who piqued Trump’s interest: one who had volunteered for Get Out The Vote during a Clinton campaign.
This potential juror also said he went to a woman’s march. Per a pool report, Trump and Blanche exchanged notes and briefly spoke after this man said he’d participated in these events.
Yet another potential alternate prompted a seeming smile from Trump, after she revealed “My father is a lifelong friend of Chris Christie.”
Donald Trump didn’t have much of a reaction after that prospective alternate juror described difficulty in being impartial.
Trump, who’s leaning, elbows on the defense table, was looking down.
When the former prospective alternate juror passed by him while exiting the courtroom, Trump did not appear to look up, per a pool report.
As the morning session plodded on, Trump could be seen shuffling papers around periodically.
Updated
Potential jurors are now answering the 42-point questionnaire for jury selection. Some of the questions they have been asked to answer include:
Are you a native New Yorker? If not, where did you live previously?
What do you do for a living?
Do you participate in any organizations or advocacy groups?
Which of the following print publications, cable and/ or network programs, or online media such as websites, blogs, or social media platforms do you visit, read, or watch? (Choices are: New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, New York Daily News, Newsday, Huffington Post, Washington Post, CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, Newsmax, MSN, Google, Yahoo, Facebook, Truth Social, X, Tik Tok, I do not follow the news, Other [name])
Have you, a relative, or close friend had any experience or interaction with the criminal justice system, including a police officer or other type oflaw enforcement agent, which caused you to form an opinion, whether positive or negative, about the police or our criminal justice system?
Have you, a relative, or a close friend ever worked or volunteered for a Trump presidential campaign, the Trump presidential administration, or any other political entity affiliated with Mr. Trump?
Have you ever attended a rally or campaign event for Donald Trump?
Have you ever considered yourself a supporter of or belonged to any of the following: the QAnon movement, Proud Boys, Oathkeepers, Three Percenters, Boogaloo Boys, Antifa?
The defendant in this case has written a number of books. Have you read (or listened to audio) of any one or more of those books? If so, which ones?
Another one bites the dust. A prospective alternate juror just now tells the court:
I don’t think I could be impartial. After thinking about this yesterday, when I read the questions, I don’t think I could be impartial.
The potential alternate juror is excused without objection from either side.
Updated
Who are the key players in the hush-money trial?
Here’s a look at some of the people who are likely to play a key role in the case.
Updated
Another would-be juror is excused without objection from either side after expressing her concerns about serving with regard to impartiality. She said:
I want to jump ahead. After the last day and some introspection, I don’t think I can be impartial. I want to be and I had every intention … I think after the questions posed to prospective jurors and asking those questions to myself I don’t think I can be impartial.
Meanwhile, the pool report touched on another question circulating in the overflow room: Was there something in Trump’s mouth?
Per pool: “Trump appears to be chewing on something as he sits at the defense table.”
As he emerged from the lower Manhattan courthouse on Thursday afternoon after 12 people were selected to sit on the jury in his hush-money case, Donald Trump complained about the “very unfair” trial including the temperature of the courtroom.
“It’s a whopping outrage,” Trump told reporters as he clutched a massive stack of printed-out articles and opinion columns criticizing the case.
I’m sitting here for days now, from morning to night, in that freezing room ... Everybody was freezing in there! All for this.
He added:
I am supposed to be in Georgia, in North Carolina, South Carolina. I’m supposed to be in a lot of different places campaigning, but I’ve been here all day.
Donald Trump after the third day of his first criminal trial: “I’ve been sitting here for days now from morning ’til night in that freezing room. Freezing. Everybody was freezing in there.” pic.twitter.com/BuwcaCkfcD
— Republican Voters Against Trump (@AccountableGOP) April 18, 2024
Judge Juan Merchan has told the court this morning that they are still working on the temperature in the courtroom.
Trump appears to fall asleep just 10 minutes into trial
Meanwhile, the overflow courtroom was once again abuzz with whispers about Donald Trump’s soporific state.
Just 10 minutes into trial this morning, it appears that his eyes lowered, prompting the perennial question: Did he doze off again?
He’s since spoken to two of his lawyers, so whatever cat-nap the former commander-in-chief might have enjoyed was brief.
The identities of the jurors who will judge Donald Trump will remain anonymous in the case out of security concerns.
The dismissal of one juror on Thursday who feared she had been identified prompted judge Juan Merchan to rebuke reporters covering the case for revealing too much about the physical descriptions of jurors. Earlier this week he admonished Trump against intimidating jurors.
The judge said:
I would recommend the press simply apply common sense and refrain from anything that has to do, for example, with physical descriptions. It’s just not necessary, it serves no purpose.
He went on to prohibit the press from reporting on the employers of jurors.
A moment of levity in the overflow courtroom. The second prospective juror, going through her questions to the juror questionnaire, did not seem keen on one form of contemporary media.
Do I ever listen to podcasts, she said aloud:
No, never!
One potential juror has been excused this morning after saying that her anxiety is too intense, and will only worsen as “as the more days that go on”.
Her family will ultimately piece together that she’s on the jury, she said.
I have really bad anxiety, so I think I might not be completely fair and not impartial, so that concerns me.
Before jury selection starts, judge Juan Merchan addresses the chilly temperature in his courtroom, which Trump complained about on Thursday, looking yesterday to his aides in the gallery and saying “it’s freezing”.
Merchan told both sides before jurors were brought in this morning:
We’re also still working on the temperature in the courtroom.
Merchan apologized to jurors for the frigid conditions on Thursday, telling them:
I want to apologize that it’s chilly in here ... We’re trying to do the best we can to control the temperature, but it’s one extreme or the other.
Donald Trump entered the courtroom in his hush-money trial just before 9.30am local time.
His brassy hair was more mussed up than normal, almost side-swept, and his face carried a dour demeanor.
Court is in session
Judge Juan Merchan is also now inside the courtroom and the court is in session.
Donald Trump is sitting at the defense table along with his lawyers, Todd Blanche, Emil Bove and Susan Necheles.
Sitting in the back row of the courtroom are Trump aide Steven Cheung and lawyer Cliff Robert, who was one of Trump’s main attorney’s in the New York attorney general’s civil fraud trial.
Before Donald Trump’s trial entered its fourth day, the ex-president did what he usually does when facing scrutiny: complain.
In the hall outside the courtroom, Trump reiterated his claims that the trial was rigged and derided Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg’s intelligence, saying he was “not smart enough to represent himself… like Letitia James.”
Trump insisted he should be on the campaign trail in Pennsylvania, Georgia and North Carolina rather than inside court.
Trump also called for judge Juan Merchan to free him from the gag order.
Donald Trump once again railed against the hush money case as he spoke to reporters before court proceedings began.
“This is a rigged trial … coming from the White House, the former president said, before saying that New York is “a very corrupt place to do business. I think a lot of people are not going to be moving in New York.”
Trump said he should be campaigning in Pennsylvania, Georgia and other states instead of being in the courtroom. He said:
I’m sitting in a courthouse all day long. This is going on for the week and it will go up for another four or five weeks. It’s very unfair. People know it’s very unfair.
Trump says gag order 'has to come off'
Donald Trump, speaking to reporters before entering the Manhattan courthouse, once again railed against the hush-money case and called on judge Juan Merchan to remove the gag order against him because it’s “very, very unfair”. Trump said:
The gag order has to come off. People are allowed to speak about me and I have a gag order, just to show you how much more unfair it is.
He added:
They’ve taken away my constitutional rights to speak and that includes speaking to you. I have a lot to say to you. And I’m not allowed to say it and I’m the only one.
Prosecutors with the Manhattan district attorney’s office are looking to fine Trump over violating his gag order after disparaging witnesses in the case on social media. A hearing is set for next week.
Donald Trump’s motorcade has arrived at the Manhattan courthouse, where proceedings are expected to get under way at about 9.30am ET.
The 12-person jury was selected Thursday
A full jury of 12 people has been seated in the criminal case against Donald Trump, bringing the first criminal trial of a former president a significant step closer to beginning. At least one of six alternate jurors had been selected before court concluded on Thursday.
The development came after two jurors were removed, underscoring the difficulty of choosing a jury in one of the most high-stakes cases in US history.
A woman known only as “Juror Two” appeared briefly before judge Juan Merchan to say that she no longer believed she could be unbiased in the case. Since being selected on Tuesday, she had been described in the media and had received a flurry of text messages from friends and family that led her to believe she had been identified. The judge excused her.
Her dismissal came as reporters have been hanging on every detail they can glean about the 12 jurors who will determine Trump’s criminal fate. Fox News’s Jesse Watters also did a segment on Tuesday that directly attacked the jurors, including Juror Two. “I’m not so sure about Juror No 2,” Watters said on his show on Tuesday.
A second juror was excused after prosecutors expressed concerns that he may not have been truthful on his jury questionnaire about his criminal history.
Prosecutors told Merchan that in researching the juror, they had discovered that someone with the same name was arrested decades ago for tearing down posters supportive of the political right. They also said it appeared his wife had been involved in an anti-corruption probe with the district attorney.
The juror appeared in court on Thursday for two lengthy conversations with Merchan and lawyers for both sides. Merchan sealed the conversation, saying it was personal, and then excused the juror.
Updated
Trump’s hush-money trial enters fourth day as jury selection nears to a close
Good morning US politics readers. Donald Trump is set to appear in a Manhattan courtroom for the fourth day of his hush-money trial, where a dozen jurors and one alternate have already selected to sit on the first criminal trial of a former president in US history.
Five alternates remain to be chosen before jury selection wraps up and the presiding judge, Justice Juan Merchan, has suggested that opening statements could begin as early as Monday.
Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records as part of the alleged effort to cover up hush money paid to adult actor Stormy Daniels. Trump also faces other trials involving his actions on January 6, attempts to subvert the 2020 election in Georgia and charges related to his keeping of classified documents at his resort in Florida, Mar-a-Lago, after he had left office.
Trump’s criminal hush-money trial: what to know
A guide to Trump’s hush-money trial – so far
The jurors: who is on the Trump trial jury?
The key arguments prosecutors will use against Trump
From Michael Cohen to Stormy Daniels: the key players
Here’s what else we’re watching:
House Democrats came to the rescue of Mike Johnson, the Republican speaker, in a rare move on Thursday night in order to save the Ukraine aid legislation from right wing rebels.
Antony Blinken, the secretary of state, is in Capri, Italy, for Group of Seven meetings of foreign ministers.
Janet Yellen, the treasury secretary, is in meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group (WBG) in Washington.
12pm ET. Joe Biden will deliver remarks at the IBEW construction and maintenance conference.
1.30pm. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre will brief.
