Entering the courthouse this morning, Trump again criticized the limited gag order in the case, telling reporters, "Every time I come out to speak to you, I want to be open because we did absolutely nothing wrong."

It was a continuation of his campaign against Judge Merchan's limited gag order, which prevents him from targeting potential witnesses in the case, as well as jurors, lawyers, court staff, and the families of Merchan and District Attorney Alvin Bragg.

"The gag order has to come off. I should be allowed to speak," he said.

-Kelsey Walsh and Michael Pappano

The temperature is rising in Donald Trump's New York criminal trial -- just not in the courtroom itself.

As the parties worked to select the jury Thursday, prosecutors alleged that the former president had violated the limited gag order in the case seven additional times beyond the three instances they flagged on Monday. The accusation came a day after Judge Juan Merchand scolded the former president for muttering within earshot of the jury.

As for the actual temperature, Trump and his attorneys complained it was too cold.

"I'm sitting here for days now from morning till night in that freezing room," Trump told reporters Thursday during a break in the proceedings.

Trump attorney Todd Blanche asked Judge Merchan is he could turn up the heat in the courtroom "just one degree," but the judge politely declined, saying he feared a one-degree bump in the nearly century-old building could increase the temperature by 30 degrees.

But the parties persevered, seating the jury's 12 members by the end of the day. Today they'll work to seat the jury's six alternates, in the hope of starting opening arguments on Monday.

Following court, Trump exited the courtroom where he reiterated to reporters that he spent the day in the courtroom instead of campaigning for president.

"I'm supposed to be in … New Hampshire … I'm supposed to be in Georgia. I'm supposed to be in North Carolina, South Carolina. I'm supposed to be in a lot of different places campaigning, but I've been here all day on a trial that really is a very unfair trial," he said.

The former president went on to claim that legal experts and various media outlets suggest there's no case.

"The case is ridiculous," he said. "It's missing fraud. There is no fraud."

A reporter, referring to a juror who had characterized Trump during questioning as "selfish and self-serving", shouted, "The juror called you selfish. How does that make you feel?" but Trump did not respond and exited the hallway.

-Kelsey Walsh and Michael Pappano

Judge Juan Merchan has recessed court for the day.

Proceedings will resume tomorrow with plans to choose the remaining alternates for the jury.

After court resumed for the afternoon session, David Pecker retook the stand.

The former National Enquirer publisher testified that six months after Donald Trump became president, Trump hosted a "thank-you dinner" for Pecker and some of his business associates.

After taking photos in the Oval Office -- "Jared Kushner was there, Sean Spicer was there" Pecker said -- Trump asked Pecker to walk with him along the colonnade "past the Rose Garden," Pecker recalled. The jury saw a photo of the two men on that walk.

Trump said that on that walk, Trump asked Pecker, "How's Karen doing?" referring to Karen McDougal, who the National Enquirer had paid to catch-and-kill her story claiming a year-long relationship with Trump.

"She's doing well. She's quiet. All's going good," Pecker recalled responding.

Eight months later, in March 2018, Pecker said Trump called him about a television interview McDougal had conducted.

"He said 'Did you see the Anderson Cooper interview with Karen McDougal?' I said yes. He said, 'I thought we had an agreement with Karen that she can't give any interviews or be on any television shows.' So I said yes we have an agreement, but I amended it," said Pecker, who testified earlier that he had done so following the election.

Pecker testified that Trump was very upset. "He couldn't understand why," Pecker said. "He couldn't believe that I did it."

Pecker said Trump also called him after Stormy Daniels appeared on a television interview a short while later.

"He said, 'We have an agreement with Stormy Daniels that she cannot mention my name or do anything like this, and each time she breaches the agreement it's $1 million penalty,'" Pecker said.