Trump back in NYC court for hush money trial, slams 'unfair' gag order

The New Yorkers who made the cut were in the minority who said they could judge his case with an open mind, regardless of what they knew about how they felt about him.

One member of the mixed-bag jury is among Trump’s Truth Social followers, and another admitted she didn’t “like his persona.”

Trump, who was unaccompanied by family during the first week of his trial, landed himself in hot water again for no less than eight apparent violations of a gag order prohibiting him from publicly remarking on trial participants like Michael Cohen and the jury. Merchan is expected to consider the prosecution’s requests to hold him in criminal contempt and issue monetary sanctions at a hearing next week.

The background on the trial

Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 felonies alleging he repeatedly and fraudulently falsified New York business records to cover up a hush-money scheme intended to hide damaging information from the voting public in 2016.

The charges relate to a $130,000 payment his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels that he allegedly reimbursed him for in 2017, as well as payoffs to former Playboy model Karen McDougal and Trump Tower doorman.

Daniels and McDougal, who are expected to testify, both allege they slept with Trump at a Lake Tahoe charity golf tournament in 2006, less than two years after he wed Melania and they became parents to Barron Trump. McDougal claims they were involved for several months; Daniels says it was a one-time tryst, testifying in a lawsuit the year before last that she didn’t “consider getting cornered coming out of a bathroom to be an affair.” Trump denies both women’s claims.

As he seeks the White House once again, the presumed GOP nominee is also facing three other criminal cases and a total of 88 felonies, containing allegations of criminal conduct dating from the year before he took office to the year he left. The allegations run the gamut from falsifying records to plotting to overthrow democracy. Trump has pleaded not guilty in all his cases.