The upcoming hush money criminal case involving former President Donald Trump has revealed the questions that will be asked of potential jurors. The trial is set to begin next week, but Mr. Trump’s most recent attempt to delay the case was dismissed by an appeals court on Monday.
The questions for potential jurors are specific and varied, ranging from whether they listen to podcasts to how they feel about a former president being criminally tried in state court. The questions also delve into whether potential jurors have any strong opinions or firmly held beliefs about a former president being criminally charged in state court, as well as their feelings or opinions about how Mr. Trump is being treated in the case.
In addition, potential jurors will be asked about their affiliations with certain groups, including QAnon, the Proud Boys, the Oathkeepers, the Three Percenters, the Boogaloo Boys, and Antifa. They will also be asked about the media they consume and the social media they follow.
Former President Trump has been charged with a felony over a hush money payment made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels, to whom he is accused of having an affair. He has pleaded not guilty to falsifying business records and continues to claim that his legal issues are the result of political persecution. He has also expressed concerns about facing an unbiased jury in the Democratic-heavy borough of Manhattan, where the trial is set to take place.
The upcoming trial is one of four criminal cases Mr. Trump is facing, but it may be the only trial to take place before the upcoming presidential election in November. In an apparent effort to delay the trial, Mr. Trump filed a lawsuit seeking to change the location of the trial and dismiss a gag order that limits his ability to comment on the case. However, an appeals court judge dismissed this last-minute attempt.
Mr. Trump’s trial was already delayed from the end of March to 15 April due to the unexpected release of documents from federal prosecutors, and his legal team had sought to push back the trial even further. He has also expressed frustration over a gag order preventing him from commenting publicly about witnesses and others connected to the case.
In a separate development, the Department of Justice special counsel has asked the Supreme Court to reject Mr. Trump’s claim of absolute presidential immunity. The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in Mr. Trump’s immunity case on 25 April. The special counsel is prosecuting the former president in a classified files case and in a 2020 elections interference case.
