CNN’s Jake Tapper proposed a “fictitious” scenario to legal analyst Elliot Williams about the process of seating jurors in the Donald Trump criminal hush money trial, asking what would happen if the process involved a hypothetical “red MAGA hat.”
“So, Elliott, let me just ask you….this is fictitious. Let’s say somebody showed up wearing a red MAGA hat for jury selection. He, that person, wouldn’t just be automatically dismissed?” Tapper asked.
Williams answered, “Absolutely not, because if they can say to the person, ‘Look, I have political beliefs, however, I can set my beliefs aside and judge whoever the defendant is fairly, you know, in the eyes — as instructed by you, Your Honor,’ that person can legally serve on the jury. Now, a prosecutor in that case would likely strike that person. But they’re not legally prohibited— ”
Tapper interjected, “But they would have to use one of their peremptory challenges.”
“You would have to use your peremptory challenge, because there isn’t a legal bar to that person serving on the jury. They just have political views that are aligned with the defendant, but that doesn’t mean that they can’t be fair,” Williams said.
Panelist Jamie Gangel joked, “I need to go sideways for one second as the daughter of a judge: they would have to take off the hat before they came in the courtroom.”
“Yes, pardon me — ” Williams said to laughter.
“Ok, a tattoo. I meant a tattoo on his forehead here that said ‘Make America Great Again,” Tapper said.
The judge in Donald Trump’s hush money case said he hopes to seat the five alternate jurors by the end of court Friday, after attorneys finished choosing the 12 main jurors on Thursday.
The former president is charged with falsifying business records to cover up payments meant to conceal extramarital affairs. Trump has pleaded not guilty to all 34 felony counts, and continues to call the trial a “scam.”
Watch the clip above via CNN.
