Trump had to endure memes about him during jury selection

Donald Trump’s hush money trial had some vexing moments Tuesday for the former president, who was made to listen — without commenting — as Judge Juan Merchan read aloud mocking social media posts about him that had been shared by prospective jurors.

The defense team combed through social media accounts of prospective jurors and their spouses, arguing that the New Yorkers’ negative posts about their notoriously thin-skinned client showed bias. Here are some of the posts that were entered into the record; Merchan apologized for any offense caused by reading them aloud:

• A meme about Trump and the Thai boys who were trapped in a cave in 2018.
• A meme with side-by-side photos of Trump and former President Barack Obama that said: “I don’t think this is what they meant by orange is the new black.”
• A post about Trump’s travel ban from a prospective juror that included the words “lock him up.” The man was released from the jury.

At one point, Merchan admonished the former president for “audibly” saying something in the direction of a juror when their social media post was being discussed.

“I will not have any jurors intimidated in this courtroom,” the judge said. “I want to make this crystal clear.”

By day’s end, the first seven jurors had been selected.

Not one for keeping his thoughts to himself, Trump finally got to sound off after his court appearance, when he went to a bodega in Manhattan and said store workers should be allowed to arm themselves against robbers. Then he railed against what he called a “rigged trial.”

“And also, there’s no crime,” Trump added. “You know where the crime is? In the bodegas, where they come and rob them every week.”