Apr 23, 2024 - 17:49
By edition.cnn.com

6 surprises from a major news week

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CNN —

It was a week of unexpected developments in an unpredictable but consequential election year.

Here are the surprise developments and what they could mean for the future:

Jury set for Trump’s first trial

Unless you’ve been stranded off the grid in Antarctica, you know that former President Donald Trump is on trial in New York on charges of falsifying business records related to hush money payments made before the 2016 election. This overriding lead story was the subject of blanket TV coverage and banner headlines.

The surprise is that a jury selection process predicted to take weeks was over in days. Twelve jurors and six alternates will sit in judgment of the former president.

There were multiple hiccups, such as when one juror reconsidered her ability to remain impartial or when a self-immolation created a scene outside the courthouse.

Related article How a trial works: Trump’s first criminal case is in court

But the end result is the most important thing. The first of four potential criminal trials of Trump is happening. Opening arguments get underway next week.

We can’t say exactly who will testify because the prosecution won’t tell Trump’s team which witnesses they will call first. They anticipate Trump will violate a gag order and trash talk whoever takes the stand.

What we do know is that Trump has already tried to seed a conspiracy theory that the jury is somehow biased against him. This despite the open process that led to the seating of the anonymous jury.