Why were they ever considered? Judge dismisses Trump jurors after posting ‘lock him up’ on social media and sharing AI video calling Donald ‘dumb as f***’

A social media post about Donald Trump saying ‘lock him up’ led to a potential juror being dismissed from the Manhattan case on Tuesday.

Another who reposted an AI video calling the president ‘stupid as f***’ was also mentioned as another man was told to go home.

The pair were among a series of dismissals in the Manhattan court case, which ended on the second day with a surprising seven jurors.

But the judge allowed a woman who joked about Republicans to go to jail despite a challenge from Trump’s lawyers.

Judge Juan Merchan moved quickly through the potential candidates and managed to get more than halfway to filling out a panel of 12.

But a white, middle-aged man was told he was no longer needed when Trump’s legal team brought up his past online activity.

Merchan read the post to the court, which said in part: ‘Good news!! Trump lost his legal battle over his illegal travel ban!!!’

“Get him out and lock him in.”

A male juror who was in seat six was dismissed by Judge Merchan over a video he posted titled ‘Dumb as f***’ about Trump and other posts.

One of them was an appeal to raise money to beat him in the 2024 election.

Blanche said the video was a ‘parody video mocking President Trump all the time.’

The juror was called and questioned and said he thought the video ‘would be funny’.

Judge Merchan said he would not have a problem with the position, but in relation to his (the juror’s demand here, I have a hard time crediting his answer’.

The judge rejected another challenge by Trump to kick a woman sitting in seat 16.

Judge Merchan read out copies of the submissions and told the court: ‘I apologize for the attempt at humour’

One image depicted young men, Trump and the White House.

The caption read: ‘Trump invites Thai boys to the White House. Boys request to return to the cave’.

Another image had the caption: ‘Republicans expected to pick up 70 seats in prison’.

The August 8, 2018 post mocked a news report saying Republicans are ‘running to jail’

Judge Merchan said the posts were ‘satire’ and did not ‘express a desire to see your client locked up or beheaded’.

“The question is whether they are fair and impartial: your challenge is dismissed”, the judge told Blanche.

“This is someone who has expressed the desire … for Mr. Trump to be locked up,” Merchan said, adding that if Trump is found guilty, he faces a potential prison sentence.

Judge rips Trump for ‘trimming’ jury after warning he could be jailed for disruptive behavior as juror dismissed for posting ‘lock him up’ on social media

In a tense moment in court, Judge Juan Merchan told Trump’s attorney Todd Blanche to ‘talk to him’ about his behavior.

It came as Trump already faces jail time for contempt of court if he violates a gag order that prohibits him from attacking people involved in the case.

Addressing Mr Blanche, the judge said: ‘Your client made an audible statement. He gestured and muttered in the direction (of the jurors).’

The judge raised his voice and continued: ‘I will not tolerate that. I don’t want any jurors intimidated in this courtroom. Take a moment and talk to your client about it!’

Trump has already been warned that his fury could see him found in contempt of court for violating a gag order imposed by Judge Merchan.

It prohibits him from attacking witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and the judge’s family. The prosecution has already asked him for a fine.

Trump faces 34 counts of falsifying business records to cover up a hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels shortly before the 2016 election.

Daniels says she had a sexual encounter with Trump about a decade earlier.

The Republican presidential candidate in the Nov. 5 election has pleaded not guilty and denies a meeting took place.

On day two of jury selection, Trump and his lawyers had a prospective juror dismissed over a 2017 social media post.

The potential juror had posted on Facebook about Trump, who was president at the time.

They wrote: ‘Get him out and lock him up’.

When the prospective juror was called into court to explain himself, he said, “I had strong feelings at the time,” but that he could be impartial today.

Judge Merchan said quote about wanting Trump thrown in jail was a problem.

He said: ‘Everyone knows that if Mr Trump is found guilty in this case there is a potential prison sentence that would be locked up’.

As Trump watched, he shook his head.

Judge Merchan said: ‘I don’t think I can allow this juror to remain.’

Judge Merchan went on to deny a request to dismiss a female prospective juror over Facebook posts by her husband, leading to a bizarre sequence in court.

The judge described a meme of a character from ‘The Simpsons’ holding Trump’s head with a picture of Barack Obama in the frame.

It had a caption that read: ‘I don’t think that’s what they meant by orange is the new black’.

The judge read out another post, which was a meme with the headline: ‘The Avengers Unite against Donald Trump … and to get Mark Ruffalo naked’.

Judge Merchan said that if this was the worst they could find about the jurors, her husband’s submissions, which were ‘humor, albeit not very good humour’, from eight years ago, gave him confidence in the jurors.