Unusual Update on Trump Jury: Reports From Courtroom on the 12 Sworn In | Facts Matter

In New York City, the first criminal trial of a former sitting President is officially underway. Amidst a backdrop of a total media circus, protestors from both sides waving flags and banners, and a man burning himself alive right there outside the courthouse—for the past week, the jury selection process has been playing itself out. And, what’s been happening (according to reporters who are in the courthouse) is that potential jurors have been getting turned away left and right. Out of the original 96 people who were on the panel, 48 of them were excused right away for saying that they could not be fair and impartial. The remaining 48 were then looked at one-by-one. Both the prosecutors, as well as Trump’s defense team, were able to ask them questions, look for bias, and dismiss the ones they didn’t like. Now, President Trump is at a disadvantage in this process. That’s because, since this case was being pushed forward in Manhattan... the jury Pool was limited to Manhattan only. Meaning, that no one from Brooklyn, Queens, or Staten Island was eligible to sit on this jury. The reason this matters is that Manhattan is one of the bluest areas in the country. In 2020, Joe Biden won Manhattan with 85 percent of the vote. And even if you zoomed into the 2020 election results, and looked at it in a granular manner—there was not a single block, or a single street in Manhattan that chose Trump over Biden. Basically, Manhattan is totally blue without any conservative enclaves. And so, amidst this type of a demographic, finding 12 random people who can truly be unbiased in a case involving not only the former Republican president, but also, the current presumptive Republican nominee for president—is difficult to say the least. However, the case has to move forward, and as such, after 4 days, the entire 12 person jury has been finalized and seated. Let’s go through what we know about these 12 individuals who have been put in charge of deciding President Trump’s legal fate.