As Donald Trump’s hush money trial comes to a close, Alina Habba is fretting about how Memorial Day weekend might be an opportunity to sway jurors.
While appearing on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures,” Habba, previously an attorney for Trump but now his legal spokesperson, told host Sean Duffy that jurors should have been sequestered in order to keep them away from “friends and families who have opinions.”
“These jurors are handling something that is completely unprecedented and unwarranted in America,” Habba said.
“And for them to be able to be out and about on a holiday weekend with friends and families who have opinions, who are watching the news, TVs on the background at the pool party, I have serious concerns,” she continued. “If they’re left-winging and they’re watching MSDNC — as my client calls it — or CNN, they’re not going to get fair news.”
The influence of left-leaning news was far from Habba’s only fear.
Alina Habba says she’s worried that the jury wasn’t sequestered because they may be out on the holiday weekend with friends that have Trump derangement syndrome and decide to take one for the DNC pic.twitter.com/P39d8pgk3m
— Acyn (@Acyn) May 26, 2024
Although jurors are explicitly told not to discuss the case outside of the courtroom, the Trump spokesperson said, “I have worries about them going back to whatever friends might have Trump derangement syndrome, forgetting all sense of reality, and coming back and sitting in that box and saying, ‘You know what? I’ve got to take one for the DNC.’”
During jury selection, people’s social media records and political views were thoroughly vetted, making the possibility of a secret Democratic operative sneaking in very slim.
Though Habba seemed sure the holiday recess was a threat to her client, Duffy saw things a bit differently, wondering if a long weekend may help jurors take their time in considering the case instead of rushing to wrap proceedings with a guilty verdict.
Closing arguments in the case are set to start on Tuesday, when the court is back in session after its short holiday closure.
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