Donald Trump trial LIVE: Follow day three of hush money case with five jurors yet to be selected for panel of 12

Donald Trump will return to court in New York on Thursday morning for the third day of his hush money trial.

Potential jurors will appear in court to be answered 42 questions in the process and fill the final five spots on the panel.

The court also needs six alternatives that must be ready by Monday for opening statements.

So far, seven Manhattan residents have been selected to decide whether the first former president in history to stand trial will be found guilty or not guilty of falsifying business records.

He has denied trying to hide a $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels to keep her quiet about an alleged affair before the 2016 election.

The court acted more quickly than expected in selecting the panel, and the judge halted any further delaying tactics by either party.

Here are the seven jurors selected so far. They include a corporate lawyer, a professor and a man who called the former president “fascinating.”

Melania Trump may not be publicly at Donald Trump’s side during his trial in New York, but she is privately backing her husband in his money case to maintain his silence.

Still, their support has its limits. It is highly unlikely that she will testify for Trump and she will be furious at her husband for involving her son Barron.

When news broke of Trump’s $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels, Melania was said to have been shocked, humiliated and furious. But, as she has done in multiple Trump scandals in the past, she will stand by him.

‘She’s not going anywhere. “She’s there for him,” a source familiar with the Trumps told DailyMail.com. “They’re going through this together.”

“She has been the cornerstone of the family.”

The selection of two lawyers for the jury could have huge implications for Donald Trump’s secret trial.

Renato Stabile, a jury lawyer, told DailyMail.com that this is a “bold but risky” move by both sides, as other members of the panel will look to them for guidance.

“For this reason, lawyers don’t usually sit on juries unless each side thinks they’re good for them, and obviously one side will be seriously wrong,” Stabile added.

“In this case, both the prosecution and the defense obviously think that these two lawyers are good for them, because either side could have attacked them with their peremptory challenges, but they didn’t.

“It’s truly a fascinating strategy, but keep in mind that the parties have presumably investigated the backgrounds of these two attorneys and know things about them that we don’t.”

“It also suggests to me that Trump’s lawyers are going to present a technical legal defense, which they hope these two lawyers will understand and defend in the jury room during deliberations.”

Donald Trump appeared to violate judge’s gag order Wednesday night and could face consequences

The former president quoted Fox News host Jesse Watters: “Undercover liberal activists are being caught lying to the judge so they can serve on Trump’s jury.”

JustSecurity’s Ryan Goodman said this appeared to go against Judge Juan Merchan’s order.

He pointed to part of the order that states Trump is prohibited from “making…public statements about any prospective juror or any juror in this criminal proceeding.”

Goodman also highlighted the section that reads: “Making or directing others to make public statements about any prospective juror or any juror in this criminal proceeding.”

Trump was already warned that he could face contempt charges for three previous social media posts attacking Michael Cohen.

A hearing is scheduled for next week to see whether he will be fined up to $1,000 for each publication.

Several aides working for President Joe Biden reportedly have an unpleasant name for their boss’s opponent, former President Donald Trump.

Several of the current president’s younger staff and other Democrats close to Biden are reported to use the nickname ‘Hitler Pig’ for Trump.

“Hitler Pig is sleepy” was what one person allegedly captioned the New York Times reporter’s comments to CNN on Monday.

At least four employees confirmed anonymously political that this is the nickname that some employees use for Trump.

The Manhattan judge overseeing the hush money trial has not yet made his decision, but the Trump campaign already believes in the possibility of preventing the former president from attending your son’s high school graduation It is political dynamite.

“Fucking with us at Barron’s graduation has the potential to be the misstep of this trial’s ‘$18 million Mar-a-Lago valuation,'” a Trump source told DailyMail.com.

Earlier this year, another judge in a different trial offered an $18 million valuation of Trump. Florida club, a figure that the former president said was much less than its true value and which has since been used to ridicule the outcome of a civil case.

Likewise, his campaign now seeks to weaponize everything it can from the Manhattan hush money trial.

Any signs that Trump is being treated unfairly, including dirty courtroom bathrooms, will become talking points or campaign mailers, people familiar with the thinking say.

By Rob Crilly, DailyMail.com senior political reporter inside the court

Prosecutor Josh Steinglass asked each of the 18 potential jurors in front of him to look at Donald Trump and then look carefully inside themselves and decide whether they were prepared to decide guilt or innocence.

‘You have to be able to come back from your deliberations and look the accused in the eye and say “guilty.”

“And only you can know.”

The defendant knew exactly where to look. He turned his body to the right, facing them, and gave them a penetrating look as each answered “yes.”

It was a dramatic moment on the second day of Trump’s hush money trial. The former president came face to face with some of the men and women of Manhattan who will deliver one of the most important verdicts in history.

Poland’s president became the latest foreign leader to beat his way to Donald Trump’s door Tuesday night as the world prepares for his possible return to the White House.

Andrzej Duda was welcomed like an old friend when he arrived at Trump Tower, where the former president is staying while his criminal trial for alleged hush money payments begins in New York.

The two men are long-time allies, but Duda was eager to win their support for more military aid to Ukraine amid continued Republican hostility toward a new aid package.

“This gentleman is doing a fantastic job, the people of Poland love him, they really love him,” Trump told reporters as the couple entered.

‘We had four fantastic years together. We may have to do it again.