Panel of 12 jurors sworn in for Trump’s historic hush money trial: Ex-president blasts ‘witch hunt’ as he leaves court

The panel of 12 Manhattan residents who will ultimately decide the fate of former president Donald Trump in his New York criminal trial have now been seated.

After three days of jury selection, in which hundreds of New Yorkers were called to the New York Criminal Court, sworn in and asked personal questions, the majority of jury selection concluded on Thursday – with a panel of five women and seven men sworn in.

One alternative has also been seated, with five more needed to complete the full panel of 18: 12 jurors and six alternates.

Leaving court at the end of the historic day, an irate Mr Trump immediately launched into his usual rhetoric – baselessly claiming that the case is a “witch hunt”, blaming the “crook” President Joe Biden for the criminal charges levelled against him and falsely claiming that Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is the real culprit falsifying fraudulent documents.

He also fumed about having to sit in the “freezing room” in court when he should be campaigning for the White House, calling it a “whopping outrage”.

So long as none of the jurors contacts the court to inform them they can no longer serve, or they’re dismissed, the panel of 12 will be the individuals who decide if Mr Trump is guilty of a string of criminal charges.

In what marks a landmark case for America, the former president is accused of falsifying 34 business records to cover up alleged hush money payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 presidential election.

That cover-up was allegedly part of a wider catch-and-kill scheme in which Mr Trump is said to have sought to suppress negative stories about him in a bid to ultimately influence the outcome of the election.

Mr Trump has denied all wrongdoing