Former US President Donald Trump faced the opening day of a historic trial in New York, where he is accused of criminally altering business records to conceal a $130,000 payment made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels during his 2016 election campaign.
Both Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, and another individual, Karen McDougal, have alleged affairs with Trump, leading to the hush money payments being made.
Trump’s defence team has argued that the payment was intended to protect Trump and his family from embarrassment, rather than to sway the election in his favor.
The trial proceedings kicked off with motions being presented by both the defence and prosecution, along with the jury selection process.
The jury selection involved a pool of over 200 potential jurors, with more than half excused from serving due to impartiality issues after a detailed survey.
No jury members were officially seated at the end of the day, setting the stage for a potentially lengthy selection process.
As the first former US president to undergo a criminal trial, Trump denounced the case as a “scam” and a part of what he called a “political witch hunt” against him.
Emotions ran high in the Manhattan courtroom as Trump was introduced as the defendant and interacted with prospective jurors in a brief, tense moment.
Amid the proceedings, Judge Juan M Merchan dismissed a defence request to recuse himself from the case, citing lack of substantial evidence for a conflict of interest.
Trump’s defence team also sought permission for the former president to be absent from parts of the trial for various personal reasons, including attending a Supreme Court hearing, but the requests were not granted.
Prosecutors accused Trump of violating a gag order through social media posts and requested a fine, which the judge indicated will be addressed in a future hearing.
Trump’s trial is the first of four indictments he faces, including charges related to his 2020 election loss and mishandling of classified information upon exiting the White House.
The legal battle’s intensity, coupled with Trump’s unique position as a former president facing criminal charges, has drawn significant attention both inside and outside the courtroom.
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