On Tuesday, former President Donald Trump sat in a New York courtroom during jury selection for his hush-money case… and he took a liking to one potential juror.
In court, each potential juror was asked about his or her media diet.
The questionnaire even asks the jury candidates about their history with Trump’s books.
“The defendant in this case has written a number of books,” reads Question No. 36. “Have you read (or listened to audio) of any one or more of these books? If so, which ones?”
One potential juror recalled reading a few of Trump’s books. He nearly misremembered a title… only to receive a subtle hint from the former president himself.
“I read The Art of the Deal, and I want to say How to be Rich, and Think Like a Champion,” the potential juror reportedly paused, as if unsure of the title. “Is that right?”
Trump nodded with a smile on his face from across the courtroom, multiple reporters observed.
In the 1980s, The Art of the Deal graced the coffee tables of Republicans and Democrats alike. It spent 48 weeks on The New York Times Best Seller list, and it held the No. 1 spot for 13 of those weeks. However, no one can confirm the total number of sales due to issues with Nielsen’s data collection at the time.
Trump has received a flurry of media attention for his facial expressions in court. Maggie Haberman, a liberal Times reporter, recalled Trump looking “bored and fidgety,” and she faulted Trump for “scanning jurors’ faces.”
Another reporter recounted Trump’s apparent nap in court. Trump-affiliated lawyer Alina Habba has called the reports of a nap “unlikely.”
Other potential jurors have grabbed attention, too.
The potential juror in Seat No. 3 answered questions about her hobbies. According to reports, she mentioned running and hiking, and then she said at a brisk tempo that she liked to go to the club. She won some laughs.
All in all, seven people were selected for the jury by the end of the day on Tuesday.
Trump faces four criminal indictments. In this case, he stands accused of falsifying business records to lie about paying some hush money to alleged mistress Stormy Daniel. Trump has pleaded not guilty, and he’d denied any affair with Daniels.
Take a look at the media frenzy over Trump’s body language —
The Horn editorial team