NEW YORK — NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump arrived at a New York court Monday for the start of jury selection in his hush money trial, marking a historic moment as the former president and presumptive nominee for this year’s Republican presidential ticket responded to criminal charges .
It is the first criminal trial against a former US commander in chief and the first of four charges against Trump to come to trial. Dozens of people are expected to be called to the courtroom to start the trial to find 12 jurors, plus six alternates. Trump’s prominence would make the process almost herculean a year from now, but now it will likely be particularly challenging.
The former president is accused of falsifying internal Trump Organization documents as part of a scheme to bury stories he feared could damage his 2016 campaign, especially as his reputation at the time suffered from comments he made about women had made.
The allegations focus on payouts to two women, porn actor Stormy Daniels and Playboy model Karen McDougal, who said they had extramarital sexual encounters with Trump years earlier, as well as to a Trump Tower doorman who claimed to have a story about a child he claimed to have. Trump had been illegitimate. Trump says none of these alleged sexual encounters took place.
Currently:
– Here’s what you need to know about the hush money case
– How a hush money scandal surrounding a porn star led to the first criminal trial against Trump
– A jury of his peers: A look at how jury selection will work in Donald Trump’s first criminal trial
– Following the criminal and civil cases against Donald Trump
Here’s the latest:
Only one room can watch a livestream of the proceedings in Donald Trump’s hush money case — and that’s in the courthouse.
A pair of video monitors broadcast the proceedings to an overflow room next to the main courtroom. The room was packed Monday morning with press, court officials and some citizens.
Among those in attendance was prominent Trump critic and attorney George Conway, who reports for The Atlantic. Conway was married to Kellyanne Conway while serving as a senior presidential advisor in the Trump White House.
Ron Sinibaldi, a former accountant from Long Island, said he started lining up at the courthouse just before midnight to make sure he could get in “for the historic day.”
“I read presidential biographies, I go to presidential libraries, I’m here for history,” Sinibaldi said. “If they did this to Jimmy Carter, I’d be here too.”
Supporters of Donald Trump gathered outside the courthouse Monday morning before the start of Trump’s hush money trial, but they were outnumbered by the media.
About 200 Trump supporters stood outside the courthouse and about 40 others protested against the former president there.
One group of protesters carried a banner that read: “No one is above the law.”
Another group chanted for the judge overseeing Trump’s trial, Juan M. Merchan, to recuse himself. Trump had unsuccessfully urged the judge to remove himself from the case.
In the hours before Donald Trump’s expected arrival at the courthouse, his campaign continued to telegraph how they plan to characterize the trial.
At 6 a.m., the former president’s campaign issued a lengthy press release attacking Bragg as “George Soros’s favorite prosecutor” and labeling the historic events as “The Biden Trial in New York.” It is yet another indication of how Trump has and will continue to personally vilify those who brought the case, portraying himself as the victim of a politically motivated attempt by his rivals to tarnish his candidacy.
Trump has been busy posting on his Truth Social platform this morning, labeling the trial as “rigged” and complaining about the silence order imposed on him.
“I want my VOICE back. This crooked judge has silenced me. Unconstitutional! The other side can talk about me, but I can’t talk about them! Rigged process!” he posted.