In the Manhattan courtroom on Wednesday, the high-stakes trial featuring former President Donald Trump was underway as his legal team is reportedly hanging their hopes on an unexpected source: one juror who appeared to be showing pro-Trump signs.
In the courtroom, jurors reportedly avoided eye contact with Trump —a gesture often interpreted as ominous for defendants. “Those worries have only grown in Trump’s orbit as allies have all but abandoned hope of acquittal,” Marc Caputo wrote. Even Trump himself, despite his public outbursts against the judge and the case on social media, has expressed a rare resignation behind closed doors. “Whatever happens happens. I have no control,” he reportedly conceded privately, signaling a possible brace for the worst.
Trump’s team has managed to spot a silver lining, however. There appears to be at least one juror who might view Trump more favorably.
Caputo wrote:
“There are eight people on that jury who definitely hate Trump. If there’s one person who doesn’t, it’s [this] juror,” said one court attendee who, like others for this story, relayed their observations on condition of anonymity to The Bulwark, which is also protecting the privacy and safety of the juror in question by not disclosing identifying details.
As the trial has progressed since April 15, these sources relate, this juror has appeared to nod along in seeming accordance with the defense at times. On other occasions, the juror has seemingly reacted favorably to and made eye contact with Trump’s congressional surrogates who began joining him in court in recent weeks.
But even Trump’s most ardent allies acknowledge they’re speculating at best—trying to read tea leaves. A juror or jurors making friendly eye contact might simply be displaying good manners in court irrespective of how they are seriously weighing the evidence and considering their verdict.
“You just never know what people are thinking or what they’re gonna do,” said one Trump insider. “Yeah, the [juror] looks friendly. But maybe [the juror is] just doing that to fuck with us before they vote to convict.”
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In the midst of mounting tension surrounding the trial, insiders from Trump’s circle are bracing for the possibility that the best they can hope for is a hung jury. The suspicion isn’t confined to just Trump’s allies; even critics sense uncertainty in the jury box. Harry Litman, a Democrat and former deputy attorney general, expressed his concerns on X about a particular juror.
“There’s one juror that people are worried about and I share the worry,” Litman revealed, constrained by the judge’s orders from identifying the individual but noting the juror appears “less engaged and slightly irritable.”
While hoping for a mistrial, Trump’s legal team and allies are bracing for a conviction. Trump plans to appeal immediately, and his presidential campaign already has fundraising appeals and merchandise ready to go, similar to the way it monetized Trump’s jail mugshot in his Georgia election interference case. The jury, a group of 12 New Yorkers, is set to reconvene tomorrow at 9:30 a.m. ET to continue deliberations. The stakes are extraordinarily high as they consider a potential felony conviction against a former president who is also a leading contender for the GOP nomination.
