 | BY ADAM WREN | | 
Media crews line the streets in front of the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse during the first day of former President Donald Trump’s criminal trial. | Jamie Kelter Davis for POLITICO | OPENING DAY — Sure, it was the so-called trial of the century, but the scene outside former President Donald Trump’s hush money trial today — the first criminal trial of a former American president — was more like a sad circus than anything else. Beneath billowing, giant “Trump or Death” and “Trump 2024” flags, a few dozen Trump supporters gathered in a park across the street. In the past, Trump has always been able to count on his supporters turning out en masse, from his signature rallies to the riot at the Capitol. But today in Manhattan, at a pivotal moment for the MAGA movement and Trump’s campaign, the faithful were uncharacteristically quiet. The endless litany of Trump’s legal proceedings seemed to be wearing on them: More than two hours after the the New York Young Republican Club’s “rally for President Trump” was scheduled to begin, demonstrators were still heavily outnumbered by hundreds of members of the news media. “It’s 9 a.m. on a Monday in New York City, and you’re asking Republicans to show up, mostly people who generally work,” said Vish Burra, the executive secretary of the club and a former aide to disgraced former Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.). Burra maintained the rally was larger than expected because “of how quickly we announced it — basically over the weekend.” But the trial — and expected protests — had been looming over the campaign for weeks. And it’s not as though the MAGA faithful who did turn out were unaware of the stakes, or their own sense of duty to represent the former president in the first of the four criminal investigations he faces. “He can’t speak,” a bullhorn-wielding Laura Loomer, the former congressional candidate and conspiracy theorist who wore a black and white T-shirt that read, “DONALD TRUMP DID NOTHING WRONG,” said of Trump, to a small group of mostly red-capped demonstrators gathered along a bank of television satellite trucks. “We have to be his voice.” Inside the courthouse, just before entering the courtroom, Trump did speak. “This is political persecution — this is a persecution like never before, nobody has ever seen anything like it and again it’s a case that should have never been brought, it’s an assault on America and that’s why I am very proud to be here,” Trump said. No one had seen anything like this before, and those outside the courthouse didn’t seem to know what to do. Should they stand quietly in solidarity? Should they chant? And so they did. They chanted “Trump 2024” and “Judge Merchan recuse yourself” and “Fire Tish James” and “Fire Alvin Bragg,” though none of those verses that singled out Trump’s favorite foes seemed to endure longer than a few seconds. Their soundtrack was the clatter of construction on the jail down the street from the courthouse, the sporadic honking of a jacked- up truck flying Trump flags and playing a pro-Trump rap song while circling the block, and an anti-Trump protester playing “The Star-Spangled Banner” balefully on his flute. Detractors were just as enthused, and all of them committed to the bit amid this historic backdrop. “It’s kind of sleepy,” said Marni Halasa, a figure skating coach and part of what she called a “theatrical protest group.” She wore sequined boots and a leopard print leotard festooned with a flurry of fake $100 bills and held a sign that said “FELONY,” one of several costumed onlookers. Another man wore a Santa shirt and identified himself only as “Hungry Santa,” gave his age as “immortal,” and said he hailed from “the North Pole.” One impersonator dressed as Trump brought a bag of Chick-fil-A with him. Another person performed a parody skit as Donald Trump Jr. Bill Christeson, a 70-year-old activist, came up from Washington. Asked whether the trial — and a possible conviction — would change the trajectory of the race, he whipped out a sign that read: “It’s not about the mushroom” — a bodily reference used by Stormy Daniels, the porn star at the center of the case — “follow the money.” At one point in the morning, in dueling demonstrations, the former president’s supporters chanted, “Donald Trump did nothing wrong,” while his detractors chanted, “No one is above the law. Trump is not above the law.” For both Trump’s supporters and antagonists, it was not only history they had come to see unfold. They were also bearing witness to what will count for much of the setting of his campaign trail, at least for the next several weeks or, possibly, months. “In some ways, for four days a week, this is where the campaign has to be stationed,” said Andrew Giuliani, the son of the former New York City mayor and former personal attorney to Trump. In an interview, Guiliani said he was here to support a politician who has been like an uncle to him. He cut a contrast in his suit and tie with some others in the small crowd who wore T-shirts — “LOUD MAJORITY,” one read. He lamented what he called “these coordinated political prosecutions against Donald Trump.” By the end of the day, as the court slogged through pre-trial motions and the beginning of jury selection, Judge Merchan was already lamenting that they were behind schedule. If Trump’s friends and foes plan to keep an eye on history unfolding from outside the courthouse, they’re in for a full-time job. Welcome to POLITICO Nightly. Reach out with news, tips and ideas at nightly@politico.com . Or contact tonight’s author at awren@politico.com or on X (formerly known as Twitter) at @adamwren .
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| | THE GOLD STANDARD OF POLICY REPORTING & INTELLIGENCE : POLITICO has more than 500 journalists delivering unrivaled reporting and illuminating the policy and regulatory landscape for those who need to know what’s next. Throughout the election and the legislative and regulatory pushes that will follow, POLITICO Pro is indispensable to those who need to make informed decisions fast. POLITICO Pro dives deeper into critical and quickly evolving sectors and industries—finance, defense, technology, healthcare, energy—equipping policymakers and those who shape legislation and regulation with essential news and intelligence from the world’s best politics and policy journalists. Our newsroom is deeper, more experienced, and better sourced than any other—with teams embedded in the world’s most active legislative and regulatory power centers. From Brussels to Washington, New York to London, Sacramento to Paris, we bring subscribers inside the conversations that determine policy outcomes and the future of industries, providing insight that cannot be found anywhere else. Get the premier news and policy intelligence service, SUBSCRIBE TO POLITICO PRO TODAY . | | | | | | | THE CHOSEN ONES — Former President Donald Trump’s criminal trial in New York began today with an immediate and fundamental challenge: selecting a jury that can fairly judge one of the most famous and polarizing figures alive . “Picking a jury in a case involving someone as familiar to everyone as former President Trump poses unique problems,” Joshua Steinglass, the senior trial counsel in the office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, said at a recent hearing — in what may be the understatement of the year. How, precisely, to pick a Trump jury — 12 people and a handful of alternates — is a question that prosecutors and lawyers for Trump have been grappling with in several state and federal courts for months. Trump last week called the process “pure luck.” His lawyers will spend the next week hoping to prove him wrong. POLITICO has reviewed jury-related filings and transcripts from Trump’s criminal and civil cases. What’s emerged are the contours of a strategy aimed at getting inside the minds of jurors tasked with sitting on some of the most consequential trials in American history — and identifying the ones who can tune out noise, politics and pressure in order to judge the man only on the evidence presented in court. FEELING TESTY — Even as prosecutors were seeking a contempt ruling against Donald Trump for violating the gag order in recent days, Trump once again tested the boundaries of the gag during the trial’s lunch break today. He posted a video of one of his prominent allies, Laura Loomer, announcing through a bullhorn that “Donald Trump did nothing wrong.” Notably, Loomer used the same moment to criticize Judge Juan Merchan’s wife for purportedly working for New York Attorney General Tish James, a Trump political foe. Loomer also criticized prosecutors’ star witness, Michael Cohen, for employing the services of a lawyer with ties to Trump’s political opponents. SLEEPY DON — Did Donald Trump catch a post-lunch nap ? This afternoon, the former president appeared as though he might have dozed off for a moment while Justice Juan Merchan read a lengthy set of instructions to prospective jurors. For a minute or two, Trump sat motionless in his seat at the defense table, his back slightly arched and his head tilted down. At one point, his lawyers Todd Blanche and Emil Bove, who were sitting on either side of Trump, had a brief exchange in front of him while he remained still. DAY ONE — Court adjourned for the day at about 4:30 p.m. after the first batch of prospective jurors answered questions about their lives and their ability to remain impartial during the trial. Many prospective jurors were dismissed, but nine cleared the initial hurdle . They represent a cross section of Manhattan and include a prosecutor in the Bronx District Attorney’s Office, a man originally from Ireland and a bookseller who lives on the Upper West Side. They could still be removed later if either side challenges them.
| | — Justice Thomas misses Supreme Court session today with no explanation: Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas was absent from the court today with no explanation . Thomas, 75, also was not participating remotely in arguments, as justices sometimes do when they are ill or otherwise can’t be there in person. Chief Justice John Roberts announced Thomas’ absence, saying that his colleague would still participate in the day’s cases, based on the briefs and transcripts of the arguments. The court sometimes, but not always, says when a justice is out sick. — White House opposes standalone Israel funding bill: The White House announced today it would oppose a bill to fund Israel security if it did not include the president’s requests for aid to Taiwan and Ukraine . National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby threw cold water on House Speaker Mike Johnson’s plan to introduce a stand-alone bill funding Israel following the attacks from Iran over the weekend, saying it would not get President Joe Biden’s backing. The comments provide a clear signal to congressional Democrats that they should vote against the measure should it be brought to the floor. Already, the party had been urging Johnson to bring up the Senate bill that included all of President Biden’s national security supplemental requests. — Prosecutors seek two-month delay in Bob Menendez trial over attorney ‘impasse’: Federal prosecutors are making another attempt to delay Sen. Bob Menendez’s corruption trial , arguing that a sudden impasse over resolving a conflict for one of his co-defendant’s lawyers could make it necessary to push its start date two months, from May 6 to July 8. The request, made in a legal filing Sunday, comes just after judge Sidney Stein agreed to delay the trial of the senator’s wife and co-defendant, Nadine Menendez, to at least July because of health issues, but to keep the May 6 trial date intact for the senator and his other co-defendants, Wael Hana and Fred Daibes.
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Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testifies before a House Judiciary Select Subcommittee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, July 20, 2023. | Patrick Semansky/AP | I TURNED TRUMP DOWN FOR VEEP — Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. claimed again today that Donald Trump’s team asked him to consider being the former president’s running mate , which a Trump adviser denied. Kennedy’s claim, which he posted to followers on X, previously Twitter, comes after several attacks by Trump on Truth Social calling Kennedy “the most radical liberal” candidate in the presidential race. TIM SCOTT’S VP PITCH — With Tim Scott in the middle of speculation about former President Donald Trump’s pick for a 2024 running mate, the South Carolina senator is leaning into his ability to engage with the growing number of Black voters that polling data suggest are open to voting for Trump in this election, NBC reports. Scott has launched a weekly series, “America’s Starting Five,” with other Black Republicans in Congress, in a bid both to make Black conservatives more visible and to reach Black voters. The series, which will discuss “politics, race, and the 2024 election” and which Scott hopes to continue at least through the summer, is also a vehicle for him to lean into a skill set that could be an asset for Trump: his perceived ability to expand the party’s tent.
| | HEAT WARNING — The Pentagon is bracing for potential new threats to American troops in the Middle East after Iran’s massive aerial assault on Israel early Sunday, as the Biden administration races to contain the blowback. None of the 300-some drones or missiles launched posed a threat to American officials in the region, pointed out a senior administration official, who like others interviewed for this story was granted anonymity to speak candidly about a sensitive operation. But the size and scale of the U.S. response to an Iranian attack is far above anything seen previously in the decades-long standoff between Washington and Tehran, and both sides will be scrambling to learn lessons from the engagement. The concern now for the Pentagon is any new risk the current tension poses to American service members in the region. Thousands of forces are stationed across the Middle East, including at vulnerable outposts in Iraq and Syria and aboard ships in the Red Sea. Additional troops are scheduled to arrive in the coming days for a dangerous mission to begin constructing a pier to help bring in aid to starving Gazans. DOD officials said they did not immediately see any new threat to U.S. troops in the Middle East on Sunday, however the situation is dynamic — and a lot will depend on what Israel does next. Biden administration officials have been urging their Israeli counterparts to show restraint, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, looking to stay in power, may feel compelled to respond forcefully. STILL COMMITTED — President Joe Biden today reiterated his administration’s commitment to Israel after Iranian attacks against it were thwarted over the weekend. “Together with our partners, we defeated that attack,” the president said before a bilateral meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shyaa Al-Sudani today. In his first public remarks since the operation on Saturday, Biden also addressed the war in Gaza, saying he was “committed to a ceasefire” between Hamas and Israel with hopes that it would bring the remaining hostages being held back home. The White House has been careful to keep a low profile following Saturday’s attack, largely in an attempt to de-escalate the situation and not further provoke Iran, according to White House aides.
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| | POLITICO IS BACK AT THE 2024 MILKEN INSTITUTE GLOBAL CONFERENCE: POLITICO will again be your eyes and ears at the 27th Annual Milken Institute Global Conference in Los Angeles from May 5-8 with exclusive, daily, reporting in our Global Playbook newsletter. Suzanne Lynch will be on the ground covering the biggest moments, behind-the-scenes buzz and on-stage insights from global leaders in health, finance, tech, philanthropy and beyond. Get a front-row seat to where the most interesting minds and top global leaders confront the world’s most pressing and complex challenges — subscribe today . | | | | | | | | |
| | | MONEY TALKS — What happens when private equity cash descends on a Montana town ? In recent years, we’ve seen just that play out in Big Sky, home to great skiing and the Yellowstone Club, a private club that requires a $400,000 deposit to join and reportedly boasts Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates, among others, as members. Big Sky has long been a haven for the rich and famous in Montana, but as more cash flows in, housing has gotten harder to find, which has changed the population and can make it more difficult to staff all of the places that the rich want to attend. Montana’s population is increasing exponentially, as people from Los Angeles and San Francisco move out there and buy up huge tracts of land — how will more investment in the region change the state? Nick Bowlin reports on the trends for Harper’s Magazine.
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On this date in 1945: Members of the Armed Forces hold a flag over the body of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt at his burial service in Hyde Park, N.Y. | AP | Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up here . | |
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