Being a juror in the New York hush money trial, I had the opportunity to witness former President Trump in person on Tuesday. I must admit, it was an incredibly jarring experience.
In an interview with MSNBC on Tuesday, juror Kara McGee shared her experience after being dismissed from the trial involving the former president’s hush money case, which began on Monday.
McGee, who had to be excused from jury selection due to conflicts with her work schedule, shared that she was positioned approximately 20 to 30 feet away from Trump.
“It was quite strange. The whole experience was fascinating because, you know, I had never actually seen him in person before. After seeing someone portrayed as larger than life in the media for so many years, actually encountering them in real life is quite unsettling,” she shared in an interview with MSNBC.
“It feels like, ‘Oh, he’s just another guy.’ And it’s also strange that he sees me talking about him,” she added.
During her appearance on MSNBC, McGee confidently stated that she had no qualms about being fair and impartial towards Trump in the courtroom.
During her time in the courtroom, she experienced a heightened sense of nervousness as she made eye contact with Trump both before reading off the questionnaire and when she stood up to leave. This eye contact contributed to her overall unease throughout the proceedings.
“It made the whole experience feel more tangible, in a way, because when you serve on a jury, you hold the fate of someone’s future in your hands. Whether it’s a high-profile figure like Trump or an unknown individual from the streets of Manhattan, committing to be a juror means having the power to impact someone’s life forever,” she shared.
No jurors were selected for the trial after Monday’s court session. Potential jurors returned to the courtroom on Tuesday, where Trump’s lawyers continued to question them.
Usually, the public and the press are unaware of the identities of jurors.
In the courtroom on Tuesday, there was a juror who perfectly matched McGee’s description. She mentioned that she has been working in the field of cybersecurity for two years. She also expressed that it was quite challenging for her to take a few days off from work.
“In court, she expressed her strong sense of duty towards her job and expressed concern about how constantly thinking about it might impact her ability to focus on the case.”
Donald Trump is currently facing 34 charges of falsifying business records. These charges are in relation to his reimbursements to his former fixer, Michael Cohen. The reimbursements were made in connection with the payment of $130,000 to porn actress Stormy Daniels just before the 2016 election. The purpose of the payment was to ensure her silence regarding an alleged affair between Trump and Daniels in 2006.
