Donald Trump trial live updates: Man self-immolates outside Manhattan criminal courthouse

Contributing sentiments towards policy:

84% : The judge said generally, "Good morning," and continued his common practice of greeting Trump directly: "Good morning, Mr. Trump.
60% : One lawyer from each side introduced those at their table, including Trump.
55% : Asked if there was strong anger toward Trump, the potential juror said she remembered the event as being about women's solidarity.- Aysha BagchiAnother potential juror is excused after saying she was feeling anxietyA woman being considered for the remaining alternate juror spots spoke up as questioning continued between potential jurors and Trump lawyer Susan Necheles.
55% : Judge Merchan released her.- Aysha BagchiTrump awake, alert again for past several potential jurorsAfter appearing to be sleepy and struggling to stay awake as potential jurors responded to the jury questionnaire earlier this morning, Trump has been fully awake through the past several potential jurors speaking.
54% : Keep up with USA TODAY's live updates from inside and outside the Manhattan courthouse:Victim set himself on fire outside Trump trial: ReportsThe victim was seen dousing himself with a liquid around 1:35 p.m. in a part across the street from the Manhattan courthouse, news outlets reported.
52% : Trump was especially attentive yesterday as potential jurors responded to his lawyer's questioning about what their opinions of him.
49% : The judge has given the lawyers some time to confer and review their notes before they will go through any challenges they have to the alternate juror candidates.- Aysha BagchiPotential juror says his opinion on Trump is neutral, leaning hostilePressed by Trump lawyer Susan Necheles about his opinion on Trump, a potential juror said he likes Trump's tax policy, but doesn't like where the Republican Party is when it comes to women's rights over their bodies.
45% : Woman who said father is a lifelong Chris Christie friend gets emotional, is excused from jury dutyA prospective juror who earlier in the day said her father is a lifelong friend of former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie - a one-time Trump ally who broke publicly with Trump after the former president refused to accept the 2020 election results and ran against him in the 2024 Republican primaries - has now been excused.
44% : She said she participated in the Women's March, a protest after Trump was elected president in 2016.- Aysha BagchiPotential juror's father is lifelong friend of Chris ChristieThe 17th potential juror to speak today said her father is a lifelong friend of former Republican New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.
44% : They say Trump authorized the payment to help his presidential campaign, and falsified records to cover up the checks he sent to reimburse Cohen for the hush money.
40% : He earlier said he believed Trump is being treated fairly.
37% : Necheles asked if the potential juror would hold Trump responsible for that, and the woman said no.
32% : Trump appeared to doze off several times as proceedings got under way, but he perked up as several prospective jurors were dismissed over concerns about whether they could be impartial.
31% : Trump said last week he plans to testify, although he also said he would testify when the defense had a chance to put on witnesses in his civil fraud trial, only to back out the day before he was scheduled to take the stand.
30% : Merchan has ruled against Trump in the past when he presided over a 2022 tax-fraud trial of two parts of the Trump Organization.
30% : So far in this trial, Merchan has imposed a gag order against Trump commenting on witnesses, court staff or prosecutors, expanded it to prohibit comments on family members of himself and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, and refused Trump's request to delay the trialKinsey Crowley & Bart JansenWill the Trump trial be televised or live streamed?No.New York court rules state that audio-visual coverage of trials is not permitted unless a representative of the news media submits an application and the judge allows it, which has not happened for this trial.
28% : Trump has pleaded not guilty to charges that he falsified business records to cover up a hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels that was designed to unlawfully interfere in the 2016 presidential election.
24% : She said she thought of it as an issue at the ballot box, not in the court room.- Aysha BagchiPotential juror questioned about attending Women's MarchTrump defense attorney Susan Necheles asked a potential juror about having attended the Women's March protest after Trump was elected president in 2016.
21% : She said she was familiar with people who made homophobic and racist comments and cited President Trump.
20% : Some posts included descriptions of Trump as "egomaniacal" and "the devil."Asked by Judge Merchan if the man believed Trump is the devil, the man replied: "At that time, yeah, I may have felt that."- Aysha BagchiSocial media comes back to haunt yet another potential jurorDefense attorney Susan Necheles asked Judge Merchan to strike another potential alternate based social media posts she showed to the judge (the posts weren't shown to reporters).
20% : Necheles said the potential juror made statements such as that Trump enabled racist and homophobic comments.
18% : If he can get them quickly on Friday, Merchan wants to hold what's called a "Sandoval hearing" over what kind of previous bad Trump acts prosecutors can bring up if Trump chooses to testify.
18% : Trump has repeatedly attacked Merchan, calling him biased because Merchan's daughter works for a marketing firm with Democratic politicians as clients, but an ethics committee has not found grounds to question Merchan's objectivity.
16% : The man said his opinion on Trump is neutral, leaning hostile.- Aysha BagchiAlternate juror candidate says Trump's base 'can feel enabled by his rhetoric'A potential juror who attended the Women's March protest after Trump's presidential election said Trump's base can sometimes "feel enabled by his rhetoric."
13% : The potential alternate said earlier she didn't know what Trump's rhetoric is, but she is familiar with people who made homophobic and racist comments and cited Trump.
6% : Christie was a strong supporter of Trump during the 2016 general election and most of Trump's presidency, but he broke with Trump after Trump refused to accept the results of the 2020 presidential election.- Aysha Bagchi14th potential juror volunteered for Clinton campaignThe 14th potential juror to speak today may not be someone the Trump legal team wants as an alternate.
4% : According to March court filings, the prosecution wants to question Trump about several legal determinations, including a civil jury's finding that Trump sexually abused New York writer E. Jean Carroll.

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