Friday’s milestone coincides with the first criminal trial of a former or current U.S. president. Man sets himself on fire outside Manhattan courthouse.

The self-immolations do not appear to have anything to do with Trump’s case. Authorities said the man was hospitalized in critical condition and that the pamphlet he was carrying mentioned an unrelated conspiracy theory.

A jury of 12 New Yorkers and six alternates had just been assembled when the incident occurred on the street outside the building, where the former president and November Republican nominee was seated on the 15th floor.

Judge Juan Merchant said opening statements in Trump’s trial will begin on Monday.

Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of business fraud as part of a scheme to cover up hush payments to porn stars so the story would not come to light before the 2016 presidential election, which he defeated Hillary Clinton.

An impartial jury?

The difficulty of selecting impartial jurors has been evident throughout this week’s selection process, and jurors must also be able to stay on the bench for up to two months.

Two women who were among dozens of ordinary New Yorkers for their final jury trial broke down in tears Friday as they answered probing questions from their attorneys.

“I’m sorry. I thought I could do this,” said one man who was quickly released from custody. “It was a lot more stressful than I thought it would be.”

Trump issued an angry statement in the morning, saying Merchin had imposed a “grossly unfair” partial gag order to prevent him from using his powerful media influence to attack relatives of witnesses, prosecutors and court staff.

“A judge must lift this gag order,” said Trump, who has a long history of making threatening or insulting remarks to private and public opponents, including while he was president.

As he left, he again called the trial a “massive witch hunt.”

The court proceedings have disrupted Trump’s 2024 campaign, but he has sought to use media coverage to relay his claim that he was the victim of a “hoax.” On Saturday, he will hold a rally in North Carolina.

The Republican tycoon faces three other criminal cases that include more serious charges of trying to overturn his 2020 election loss to President Joe Biden, but they have been repeatedly delayed.

Fierce competition with Biden

Trump blames his multiple legal woes on attempts by his political opponents to prevent him from returning to power. The latest polls show him and Biden essentially neck and neck.

At his trial in New York, Trump, 77, pleaded not guilty to charges that he falsified business records to cover up a sexual encounter with porn star Stormy Daniels in the run-up to his 2016 election victory.

Prosecutors and defense attorneys grilled potential jurors this week about their media habits, political donations, education and whether they have attended rallies for or against Trump.

Many potential panelists were excused after saying they were unable to be objective.

One sworn juror was removed from service over concerns his identity would be revealed, and another was dismissed after the accuracy of his answers during questioning was questioned.

To protect the anonymity of randomly selected jurors, the silent inquiry asked reporters to stop providing physical descriptions of jurors and not to reveal where they work.

A unanimous verdict is needed to convict Trump, who was ordered by the judge to attend every day of the trial.

If convicted, he could face jail time, but is more likely to be fined.