TWELVE jurors are selected in the Trump trial: Judge says the hush money case now has a full panel as the third day comes to a close

Donald Trump now knows the 12 jurors who will decide his fate in his historic criminal hush money trial in which he is accused of illegally paying off a porn star.

Following three days of legal wrangling a panel of seven men and five women has now been selected and they will assess his guilt or innocence over the coming weeks. 

Moments after the last of the 12 was selected Judge Juan Merchan declared 'We have our jury' and they were ushered out of the courtroom.

On the way they passed Trump who had his elbows on the table and looked at the dozen New Yorkers who will rule over his future. 

The jurors include a corporate lawyer, an investment banker, a software engineer and a teacher.

One of the female jurors called the ex-president 'selfish' as she was questioned about her opinions in court.

The jury foreman, when questioned about where he gets his news from, said Dailymail.com, among other outlets.

Trump vents his frustration outside court after day three of his trial

Communications aide to former US President Donald Trump Natalie Harp  (L) and Trump's Deputy Communications chief Margo Martin (R) at court

Assistant District Attorney Joshua Steinglass talks to jurors as attorney Todd Blanche and former U.S. President Donald Trump pay close attention during Trump's criminal trial on charges that he falsified business records to conceal money paid to silence porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016, in Manhattan state court in New York City, U.S. April 18, 2024 in this courtroom sketch.

After the jury was picked Trump stepped outside court and vented his frustration at the trial process, wielding a thick pile of media clippings.

The former president read out some of the headlines which declared the trial was a 'spectacle and outrage' and that it showed America was a 'third world country.' 

Flicking through them, he said: 'The whole world is watching this New York scam. Every single one (of the cuttings), I haven't seen one that says it is a good trial. It is political. It is a shame.

'I am sitting here for days now, from morning until night, in that freezing room. Freezing in there. All for this. It is very unfair.'

Trump went on: 'I am supposed to be in New Hampshire, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, a lot of places campaigning, but I have been here all day on a trial that is really an unfair trial.

'Very bad thing. The whole world is watching. You have a D.A. out of control. You have a judge that is highly conflicted.'

 He added: 'The whole thing is a mess and you have the leading candidate, Joe Biden - he is the one that should be on trial. We have a crooked president.

'He should be on trial, but he is the one in charge. His top people are here, working with the D.A.'s office to make sure everything goes right because they have no case. It really is a shame, this country is devolving into a third world country between having no orders, no justice.'

Earlier, the judge  dismissed two jurors as the court struggled to assemble a panel for one of the most high-profile criminal cases in American history. 

Prosecutors said one juror had not disclosed prior brushes with the law, and Judge Merchan excused him after bringing him in to the court for further questioning.

It came shortly after the judge had let go another juror, a nurse who said she felt intimidated because some of her personal information had been made public. 

It highlighted the unprecedented pressures around the first criminal trial ever of a former U.S. president. 

One juror to be dismissed was a grandfather and IT consultant who had previously told the court he finds Trump 'fascinating'.

Former President Donald Trump awaits the start of proceedings during jury selection at Manhattan criminal court, Thursday, April 18, 2024 in New York

Donald Trump's assistant Margo Martin is seen leaving Trump Tower to heart to court. Martin did not travel in the same SUV as Trump but was part of the convoy of cars that followed. She was carrying her shoes as she entered the vehicle

'He walks into a room and he sets people off an I find that really interesting,' the man said during jury selection. 'One guy can do all this. Wow. He makes things interesting.'

After he was accepted on to the jury on Tuesday details of a possible past arrest came to light. 

It was uncovered by lawyers that he may have taken down conservative political posters in the 1990s. 

On Thursday, Judge Merchan spoke to the juror for about four minutes and then excused him. 

Earlier, the former president had left Trump Tower for the third day of jury selection.

Aide Margo Martin, who has been among those attending the case, was spotted carrying her stilettos under an umbrella to protect them from the rain.

The deputy communications chief was part of the convoy of cars that followed Trump's SUV.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump sits during the jury selection of his criminal trial on charges that he falsified business records to conceal money paid to silence porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016, in Manhattan state court in New York City, U.S. April 18, 2024 in this courtroom sketch

Former President Donald Trump, seated far left, looks on with Judge Juan Merchan presiding as members of the jury panel answer questions from the jury questionnaire in Manhattan criminal court Thursday, April 18, 2024, in New York

Former U.S. President Donald Trump sits beside his lawyers Emil Bove and Susan Necheles during jury selection of his criminal trial on charges that he falsified business records to conceal money paid to silence porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016, in Manhattan state court in New York City, U.S. April 18, 2024 in this courtroom sketch

Shortly after Trump arrived the judge told the court that a female juror had ‘conveyed after sleeping on it overnight' that she 'had concerns about her ability to be fair and impartial’.

The woman was then brought to court and asked by Judge Merchan to explain herself. 

The woman said: 'Yesterday alone, I had friends, colleagues, and family push things to my phone, questioning my identity as a juror.

'I don’t believe at this point I can be fair and unbiased and let the outside influence not affect my decision making in the courtroom.'

Judge Merchan said: ‘I’m sorry you went through that’ and excused her.

Meanwhile, Trump could face a showdown with Judge Merchan over a social media post.

Judge Merchan has ordered Trump not to attack potential jurors in the case.

In a post on Truth Social on Wednesday night Trump quoted Fox News host Jesse Watters.

Watters was quoted as saying: 'They are catching undercover Liberal Activists lying to the Judge in order to get on the Trump Jury.'

Some legal analsts suggested that could breach the order.

The order prohibits Trump from 'making or directing others to make public statements about any prospective juror or any juror.'

Trump aide Natalie Harp on her way to court for day three of jury selection

Trump headed to court for the third day of jury selection

Judge Juan M. Merchan has issued a gag order against Trump

CNN legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin said the post 'was 'clearly barred by the gag order in this case.'

He added: 'Criminal defendants have different and lesser rights than ordinary citizens. They are not allowed to interfere in the trial process, especially when there is a gag order that specifically addresses attempts to intimidate jurors. It is just not permissible.' 

So far, seven jurors have been picked to sit in deliberation.

They include an oncology nurse, a software engineer, an information technology professional, a sales professional, an English teacher and two lawyers.

Judge Merchan has said he anticipates opening statements in the landmark case to be given as early as next week.

The jury selection process has moved more quickly than expected and Trump has complained that Judge Merchan, is "rushing" the trial.

Trump in court for day three of jury selection in his hush money trial

Former president Donald Trump leaves Trump Tower on his way to Manhattan criminal court, Thursday, April 18, 2024

Stormy Daniels appears at an event, May 23, 2018, in West Hollywood, California

In this courtroom sketch, Judge Juan M. Merchan presides over former U.S. President Donald Trump's trial in a Manhattan criminal court in New York

The case centers on a $130,000 payment that Trump's lawyer and personal fixer, Michael Cohen, made shortly before the 2016 election to porn actor Stormy Daniels to prevent her claims of a sexual encounter with Trump from becoming public.

Prosecutors say Trump obscured the true nature of the payments in internal records when his company reimbursed Cohen, who pleaded guilty to federal charges in 2018 and is expected to be a star witness for the prosecution.

Trump has denied having a sexual encounter with Daniels, and his lawyers argue the payments to Cohen were legitimate legal expenses.

Trump faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records and has pleaded not guilty.

He could face up to four years in prison if convicted, though it's not clear that the judge would opt to put him behind bars.