Donald Trump and his legal team received a warning in court after the embattled ex-prez was caught grumbling and gesturing toward a potential juror on Tuesday, April 16.
The court proceedings are not being televised, but several journalists from major news networks — including CNN and MSNBC — have been attending the jury selection process and reporting their findings on social media.
CNN correspondent Kara Scannell detailed a verbal altercation that occurred while questioning one possible jury candidate on a social media post they shared that may have been biased against Trump.
The individual was asked whether the video shared online had captured "a New York moment that she caught on camera" or a "celebration" of President Joe Biden’s win. The potential juror said that she'd simply filmed a public moment.
Scannell relayed that after the questioning, Judge Juan Merchan said the woman "looked me in the eye and said that she could be impartial, so we refuse to excuse her for cause."
This allegedly prompted a "reaction" from the 77-year-old, who could be heard "audibly saying something and gesturing in the direction of the juror leaving the room, that prompted the judge to raise his voice."
Scannell described Merchan as a "soft-spoken judge, but firm," who warned Trump's legal team that the former POTUS "cannot disrupt this proceeding."
"Your client was audibly uttering something. I won’t tolerate that," Judge Merchan replied, per posts from journalists on X, formerly known as Twitter. "I will not have any jurors intimidated in this courtroom. I want to make that crystal clear."
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As OK! previously reported, the jury selection process began on Monday, April 15. More than 50 of the first group of 96 prospective jurors were dismissed. Many of them left court after admitting they did not believe they could be impartial.
Trump is facing 34 counts of falsifying business documents related to a $130,000 hush money payment made to Stormy Daniels to keep her from publicly speaking about an alleged sexual encounter that she claimed occurred between herself and the ex-prez in 2006.
Trump pleaded not guilty to all charges and claims the case is nothing more than an attempt to interfere with the 2024 presidential election.
"Every one of the many Fake Cases that are perpetuated by the White House in order to help the Worst President in History, by far, get Re-Elected, are UNJUST SCAMS," he wrote via Truth social this week. "We won’t let that happen, but we will MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!"
Mediaite reported Scanell's comments.