Have Faith in the Trump Trial Jurors

By Jesse Wegman

Produced by Vishakha Darbha

Donald Trump’s criminal trial in Manhattan has begun, and while the former president is adamant that it’s a sham, the Times editorial board member Jesse Wegman begs to differ. In this audio essay for “The Opinions,” Wegman argues that Trump’s jury trial is an example of one of the most important features of the American Constitution on display.

Below is a lightly edited transcript of the audio piece. To listen to this piece, click the play button below.

Have Faith in the Trump Trial Jurors

Jesse Wegman on why “the system is operating as intended.”

JESSE WEGMAN: I’m Jesse Wegman and I’m a member of the Times editorial board.

[MUSIC BEGINS]

The editorial board is a group of journalists from different areas of expertise and we discuss the issues of the day and we weigh in on the ones that I think are usually most in people’s minds and in the public conversation. I write specifically about the intersection of law and politics, which has been a quiet intersection for the last 10 years or so.

This week we are witnessing something that no American has ever witnessed before, which is the criminal trial of a president of the United States.

It’s important for us to think about it and to consider what it means and how we should conceive of the next few weeks and months going forward up to Election Day.