Donald Trump hush money trial: Jury selection encounters setbacks

Jury selection in Donald Trump 's hush money case encountered setbacks Thursday as two previously sworn-in jurors were excused one after backtracking on whether she could be impartial and fair and the other over concerns that he may not have been truthful about whether he had ever been accused or convicted of a crime.

Seven jurors were sworn in on Tuesday, but with the excusal of two of them, lawyers now need to pick 13 others including six alternates to serve on the panel that will decide the first-ever criminal case against a former US president.

Prosecutors on Thursday also asked Judge Juan M. Merchan to sanction Trump over seven more social media posts they say violate a gag order that bars Trump from attacking witnesses.

The prosecution on Monday sought a $3,000 fine against Trump over three Truth Social posts.

Questioning of a second wave of prospective jurors began mid-morning. Over half of the group of 96 people was excused after saying they couldn't serve.

Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records as part of an alleged scheme to bury stories he feared could hurt his 2016 campaign.

The allegations focus on payoffs to two women, porn actor Stormy Daniels and Playboy model Karen McDougal, who said they had extramarital sexual encounters with Trump years earlier, as well as to a Trump Tower doorman who claimed to have a story about a child he alleged Trump had out of wedlock. Trump says none of the alleged sexual encounters occurred.

The case is the first of Trump's four indictments to reach trial.