Summary
Here is a wrap-up of the day’s key events:
House Republicans have sent two articles of impeachment against the homeland security secretary, Alejandro Mayorkas, to the Senate, a move that will bring about a Senate trial. According to House Republicans, Mayorkas “willfully and systematically” refused to enforce immigration laws, with House speaker Mike Johnson saying that Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer should “hold those who engineered this crisis to full account.”
A second House Republican has joined the effort to oust the speaker, Mike Johnson, escalating the risk of another leadership election just six months after the Louisiana congressman assumed the top job. Congressman Thomas Massie, a Republican of Kentucky, announced on Tuesday that he would co-sponsor the motion to vacate resolution introduced last month by congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican of Georgia.
At a press conference on Tuesday, House speaker Mike Johnson remained defiant that he would not resign and accused his critics of undermining Republicans’ legislative priorities. “I am not resigning, and it is, in my view, an absurd notion that someone would bring a vacate motion when we are simply here trying to do our jobs,” Johnson said.
The criminal trial of Donald Trump entered its second day as judge Juan Merchan continued to vet over 500 prospective jurors. At one point during the jury selection process, Merchan sternly rebuked Trump after his team found a video on a possible juror’s social media account over Trump’s 2020 presidential loss. “Your client was audible… I will not have any jurors intimidated in this courtroom,” Merchan said.
A potential juror caused Donald Trump to smile after he said that he read several of Trump’s books including the Art of the Deal. The juror, a resident of New York City’s Battery Park, said he is a member of the American Civil Liberties Union and is a board member of his synagogue.
Prosecutors from the Manhattan district attorney’s office have filed a motion for contempt against Donald Trump. In the motion, prosecutors argue that Trump “wilfully violated this court’s [gag] order by publishing several social media posts attacking two known witnesses – Michael Cohen and Stormy Daniels.”
That’s it as we wrap up the blog for today. Thank you for following along.
Updated
Alaska’s Republican senator Dan Sullivan has voiced his support for the House’s articles of impeachment against homeland security secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
In a post on X, Sullivan wrote:
“The articles of impeachment delivered by the House are thorough, compelling, and damning. The American people need to hear the evidence underlying these impeachment articles. Chuck Schumer has a constitutional duty to move forward with a Senate trial.”
The articles of impeachment delivered by the House are thorough, compelling, and damning. The American people need to hear the evidence underlying these impeachment articles. Chuck Schumer has a constitutional duty to move forward with a Senate trial.
— Sen. Dan Sullivan (@SenDanSullivan) April 16, 2024
Georgia’s Republican representative Marjorie Taylor Greene announced that she delivered the impeachment articles against Alejandro Mayorkas to the Senate.
In a post on X accompanying a video of her walking towards the Senate, Greene wrote:
“Mayorkas is derelict of his duty and must be removed from office. Chuck Schumer: HOLD THE TRIAL.”
I just delivered my Articles of Impeachment against Secretary Mayorkas to the United States Senate.
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) April 16, 2024
Mayorkas is derelict of his duty and must be removed from office.
Chuck Schumer: HOLD THE TRIAL! pic.twitter.com/pjTAmlJrQa
House sends impeachment articles of homeland security secretary to Senate
House Republicans have sent two articles of impeachment against homeland security secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to the Senate, a move that will bring about a Senate trial.
According to House Republicans, Mayorkas “willfully and systematically” refused to enforce immigration laws, with House speaker Mike Johnson saying that Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer should “hold those who engineered this crisis to full account.”
Johnson went on to add that Schumer is “the only impediment to delivering accountability for the American people.”
“Pursuant to the constitution, the House demands a trial,” Johnson said.
In response, Schumer said that he wants to “address this issue as expeditiously as possible,” adding, “Impeachment should never be used to settle a policy disagreement.”
Following the latest move from the House, senators are expected to be sworn in as jurors on Wednesday. The chamber will then formally inform Mayorkas of the charges and request for a written response from him.
Donald Trump’s attorney Todd Blanche and judge Juan Merchan discussed a misunderstanding over how potential jurors should be identified, including by number, according to a trial pool report.
Attorneys also spoke with Merchan over social media posts, with Merchan saying that they can bring in prospective jurors and question them individually about concerning posts.
Here are some images coming through the newswires:
Updated
Donald Trump’s lawyers told the court before an early afternoon break that the former president no longer wished to exercise his right to be present for all one-on-one sidebar questioning of prospective jurors.
Trump insisted on Monday that he wants to attend every conference, including side conferences during jury selection. No such questioning has taken place yet.
Judge Merchan noted Trump had signed a form waiving his right to do so, saying:
Mr. Trump, yesterday we discussed whether you wanted to be present at sidebars. You indicated you did. Your attorney indicated to me that you have changed your mind.
Updated
At a press conference on Tuesday, House speaker Mike Johnson remained defiant that he would not resign and accused his critics of undermining Republicans’ legislative priorities.
“I am not resigning, and it is, in my view, an absurd notion that someone would bring a vacate motion when we are simply here trying to do our jobs,” Johnson said.
It is not helpful to the cause. It is not helpful to the country. It does not help the House Republicans advance our agenda.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA): “I am not resigning, and it is, in my view, an absurd notion that someone would bring a vacate motion when we are simply here trying to do our jobs. … It is not helpful to the country. It does not help the House Republicans advance our agenda.” pic.twitter.com/U0YONJ8AAd
— The Recount (@therecount) April 16, 2024
Congressman Thomas Massie’s announcement comes one day after Johnson unveiled a plan to advance a series of foreign aid bills through the House, following months of inaction on the issue. In February, the Senate passed a $95bn foreign aid package, which included funding for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan and humanitarian efforts.
Johnson proposed splitting up the package into four separate bills with some notable changes, such as cutting the humanitarian aid included in the Senate proposal and sending money to Ukraine as a loan. The speaker plans to hold separate votes on the bills and then combine them into one package to simplify the voting process for the Senate, which will need to reapprove the proposal.
The plan won some tepid praise from many members of the House Republican conference, but the plan to bundle the bills into one larger funding package sparked frustration among hard-right Republicans. Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, who had already indicated she might force a vote on the motion to vacate over the issue of Ukraine funding, said she would not support Johnson’s plan and echoed Massie’s suggestion that the speaker should resign.
Updated
Second House Republican joins far-right effort to oust Mike Johnson
A second House Republican has joined the effort to oust the speaker, Mike Johnson, escalating the risk of another leadership election just six months after the Louisiana congressman assumed the top job.
Congressman Thomas Massie, a Republican of Kentucky, announced on Tuesday that he would co-sponsor the motion to vacate resolution introduced last month by congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican of Georgia.
“[Johnson] should pre-announce his resignation (as Boehner did), so we can pick a new Speaker without ever being without a GOP Speaker,” Massie said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
I just told Mike Johnson in conference that I’m cosponsoring the Motion to Vacate that was introduced by @RepMTG.
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) April 16, 2024
He should pre-announce his resignation (as Boehner did), so we can pick a new Speaker without ever being without a GOP Speaker.
The former House speaker John Boehner resigned from Congress in 2015 after a fellow Republican, then congressman Mark Meadows of North Carolina, filed a motion to vacate the chair. In October, Kevin McCarthy became the first speaker in history to ever be formally removed from his job via a motion to vacate vote.
Speaking to reporters after a Republican conference meeting this morning, Massie predicted that Johnson would lose the vote on the motion and would become the second speaker to lose the gavel. Massie said:
The motion is going to get called, and then [Johnson] is going to lose more votes than Kevin McCarthy.
Updated
Trump attorney Todd Blanche has been conducting his own questioning of jurors, which boils down to: What is your opinion of Donald Trump?
Some jurors seemed reticent about voicing an opinion while others didn’t seem all that perturbed by the former commander-in-chief’s antics. One juror said:
I find him fascinating. He walks into a room and he sets people off. One way or another, and I find that really interesting. Really, this one guy could do all this?
Blanche pressed:
Well certainly, he makes things interesting. So, I follow because so may people are set off one way or another, and that is interesting to me.
Blanche said, “uhm, alright,” and then thanked the man. One potential juror repeatedly tried to avoid answering the question.
If we were sitting at a bar, I’d be happy to tell you, but in this room what I feel about President Trump is not important or inherent to either the case you’re presenting or you’re defending.
After repeated prodding, he conceded: “Look: I’ll say I’m a Democrat, so there you go, that’s where it goes with me,” but, he insisted:
I walk in here and he’s a defendant.
One woman appreciated Trump’s brashness. “He speaks his mind. Come on: What else can you say about that?” At this moment, Trump smiled.
He says what he wants to say. I want to say some things but my mother said, ‘be nice.’
Updated
The court has taken a recess for lunch and will resume at 2.15pm ET.
Just before the break, Donald Trump and his lawyers went to a nearby courtroom to begin deciding which prospective jurors they’d want to remove using peremptory challenges.
When they returned to the courtroom a short time later, Trump lawyer Todd Blanche said they needed more time.
Judge Merchan said they would have until after the lunch break to decide.
Updated
Trump’s attorney Todd Blanche has been asking potential jurors for their opinions of the former president. Here are some of their responses, per pool.
One potential juror said he found Trump “fascinating and mysterious”, adding:
He walks into a room and he sets people off one way or another … I find that really interesting. Really, this one guy can do all of this. Wow, that’s what I think.
Another potential juror said he was “a big fan of the Apprentice when I was in middle school” and that there are “some things I agreed with, some things I disagreed with” with regards to Trump’s presidency.
One potential juror told Blanche that she isn’t really into politics but that “obviously I know about president Trump. I’m a female.” When asked what she meant by that, she replied:
I know that there have been opinions on how he doesn’t treat females correctly. Stuff like that.
Another potential juror largely refused to share his views on the former president, insisting that his views don’t matter. He said:
I’ll say I’m a Democrat so there you go. But I walk in there and he’s a defendant and that’s all he is.
Updated
No cameras are allowed inside the Manhattan courtroom where Donald Trump’s hush money trial is under way, but sketch artists have been capturing scenes:
Updated
The questions potential jurors must answer
Here are some of the questions potential jurors have been asked to answer as part of the trial’s jury selection process:
Are you a native New Yorker? If not, where did you live previously?
What do you do for a living?
Do you participate in any organizations or advocacy groups?
Which of the following print publications, cable and/ or network programs, or online media such as websites, blogs, or social media platforms do you visit, read, or watch? (Choices are: New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, New York Daily News, Newsday, Huffington Post, Washington Post, CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, Newsmax, MSN, Google, Yahoo, Facebook, Truth Social, X, Tik Tok, I do not follow the news, Other [name])
Have you, a relative, or close friend had any experience or interaction with the criminal justice system, including a police officer or other type oflaw enforcement agent, which caused you to form an opinion, whether positive or negative, about the police or our criminal justice system?
Have you, a relative, or a close friend ever worked or volunteered for a Trump presidential campaign, the Trump presidential administration, or any other political entity affiliated with Mr. Trump?
Have you ever attended a rally or campaign event for Donald Trump?
Have you ever considered yourself a supporter of or belonged to any of the following: the QAnon movement, Proud Boys, Oathkeepers, Three Percenters, Boogaloo Boys, Antifa?
The defendant in this case has written a number of books. Have you read (or listened to audio) of any one or more of those books? If so, which ones?
Updated
There are 18 jurors in the jury box, according to a trial pool report.
Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass asked whether media reports surrounding the case have impacted the prospective jurors’ opinions.
He also asked if they could set aside what has been reported in the media.
Steinglass also said that it does not matter whether a juror has heard about the case, the pool report added.
Prosecutor Josh Steinglass gestured to Donald Trump as he told prospective jurors that this criminal case is about “whether this man broke the law,” according to the trial reporter pool.
Steinglass went on to acknowledge Trump as a former president and current presidential candidate.
No jurors raised their hand when Steinglass asked whether anyone believed that prosecutors should have to prove more because of Trump’s position, the pool report added.
Dozens of New Yorkers say they can't be fair and impartial for Trump jury
In just five hours of jury selection, Donald Trump has seen dozens of New Yorkers say that they could not be fair and impartial.
These prospective jurors have been excused from serving on the case, of course, but it still must smart a bit: This is Trump’s home town, after all, but he is so polarising that his compatriots want out.
One juror did appear to make Trump’s morning, however. The prospect said “yes” to question 36 on the selection questionnaire, which was: “The defendant in this case has written a number of books. Have you read (or listened to audio) of any one or more of these books? If so, which ones?”
The potential panelist revealed “I read the Art of the Deal, and I want to say How to be Rich, and Think Like a Champion - is that right?” The panelist hesitated, uncertain as to whether this was the title.
Trump nodded his head and offered a smile.
Updated
A potential juror caused Donald Trump to smile after he said that he read several of Trump’s books including the Art of the Deal, Politico reports.
The juror, a resident of New York City’s Battery Park, said he is a member of the American Civil Liberties Union and is a board member of his synagogue.
He added that he follows various news outlets including the New York Times, New York Post and NY1.
Jury selection can be a slog, especially in high-profile cases where virtually prospective juror has heard of the case.
The prosecution and defense, as well as reporters and observers watching this case, are dug in, preparing for a process that will easily enter next week. Still, there are always moments of levity amid the process.
One prospective juror, answering screening questions, said: “I dated a lawyer for a while, it ended fine,” prompting chuckles in the overflow room.
Prosecutors file motion for contempt against Donald Trump
Prosecutors from the Manhattan district attorney’s office have filed a motion for contempt against Donald Trump.
In the motion filed on Tuesday, prosecutors argue that Trump “wilfully violated this court’s [gag] order by publishing several social media posts attacking two known witnesses – Michael Cohen and Stormy Daniels.”
In one of Trump’s social media posts, he called his former lawyer Michael Cohen a “disgraced attorney and felon” before going on to call judge Juan Merchan and prosecutors “thugs.”
The motion said:
“It is absolutely critical that defendant immediately halt any conduct that would violate the April 1 order’s narrow restrictions to protect the integrity of the ongoing trial. A finding of criminal contempt, imposition of sanctions, and stark warnings from this court are the minimum remedies necessary to achieve this indispensable objective.”
Another one bites the dust. This morning, another prospective juror was excused – after citing his Texas upbringing and his familiars’ political leanings.
“Growing up in the state of Texas, graduating from Texas A&M University,” the prospect said, saying he could have “unconscious bias” that could get in the way of being impartial.
While the man did not himself say he leaned in any particular political direction, he said that “Growing up, a bunch of family [and] friends [were] Republicans.” It’s “probably going to be hard for me to be impartial.”
Judge Juan Merchan called both sides to the bench to discuss the potential panelist. The conversation was brief. “I appreciate your candor. I’m going to have to excuse you at this time,” he said.
Donald Trump somewhat responded to two questions about voters when he was in the hallway.
“The voters understand, what you have to do is look at the polls,” Trump said, per the hallway pooler.
Trump didn’t take questions, though several queries were shouted. Did Trump think he violated judge Juan Merchan’s gag order? Is he worried about voters? Was he happy to have a jury at this trial?
He also seemed to address the issue at hand for this trial – did his alleged handling of purported hush-money payments flout record-keeping laws?
“I was paying a lawyer and marked it down as a legal expense of accountant and I didn’t know mark it down as a legal expense. That’s exactly what it was,” the hallway pooler quoted Trump as saying.
Donald Trump arrives in Manhattan courtroom
Donald Trump arrived at the Manhattan courtroom Tuesday morning at around 9:30 am, for the second day of his hush-money trial.
Trump donned a deep blue suit – it wasn’t quite navy, but exceeded the depth of sapphire – and a coordinating necktie. As Trump walked down the aisle, into the well, he winked at a court security officer, according to a pool report. He kept his eyes facing straight.
Here are some images coming through the newswires:
The prosecution team has entered the courtroom for day two of Donald Trump’s history-making criminal trial.
We are soon expecting Donald Trump, who arrived at the courthouse around 8:50 am.
Donald Trump fired off a few fiery Truth Social posts this morning ahead of his courthouse appearance.
In one post, Trump wrote, “MY TRIAL IS AN ASSAULT ON AMERICA.”
In another post, Trump went on to attack judge Juan Merchan again, calling him "a Trump Hating Judge” and accusing him of “running rough shod over my lawyers and legal team.”
“RIGGED, UNCONSTITUTIONAL TRIAL! Take off the Gag Order!!!” the former president added.
Donald Trump's motorcade arrives at courthouse
Donald Trump’s motorcade has arrived at the Manhattan courthouse.
Updated
Jury selection continues in historic criminal case
Good morning.
The criminal trial of Donald Trump has entered its second day as jury selection remains under way.
The first former US president to stand criminal trial, Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records surrounding hush-money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels.
Trump’s lawyers have repeatedly tried to get the trial postponed by attempting to remove Judge Juan Merchan – who is overseeing the case – and challenge his rulings, including a gag order. Trump’s lawyers have also tried - and failed - to move the trial from Manhattan over claims that the former president would not be able to get a fair jury pool in the heavily Democratic borough.
In a selection process that is expected to take several days, more than 500 potential jurors have been summoned to the Manhattan courthouse. Each potential juror is expected to read their responses to a 42-point questionnaire while Merchan informs them of the individuals who are expected to appear in the trial, including potential witnesses.
In a win for prosecutors from the Manhattan district attorney’s office on Monday, Merchan allowed them to admit as evidence the full transcript of Trump’s 2005 Access Hollywood tape in which he said he could grab women “by the pussy”.
Stay tuned as we bring you the latest updates.
Here are other developments in US politics:
House Republicans are set to present impeachment articles against the homeland security secretary, Alejandro Mayorkas.
Joe Biden is expected to travel to Scranton, Pennsylvania, for two campaign events later today.
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