Trump sits in Manhattan court as jury selection in the Stormy Daniels hush money case begins
A defiant Donald Trump made history as the first former president to appear in a criminal trial when he arrived in court Monday for jury selection in the Manhattan case.
The former president, 77, faces 34 counts of falsifying business records to cover up a $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels for an alleged affair.
Each charge, which he has vehemently denied, carries a maximum penalty of four years in prison, but if convicted, he could face a fine or probation as a first-time offender.
Trump’s day got off to a bad start when Judge Juan Merchan rejected a request by his legal team to recuse himself, claiming the former president used a ‘series of inferences, innuendo and unsubstantiated speculation’.
He shot down suggestions that posts on X by his daughter caused him to withdraw because it wasn’t her account and they made no difference to his ability to monitor the case.
Merchan also said he was not ready to say whether the high-profile defendant could attend his 18-year-old son Barron’s high school graduation on May 17, which falls in the middle of the case.
A defiant Donald Trump made history as the first former president to stand trial in a criminal trial when he arrived in court Monday for jury selection in the Manhattan trial.
Trump walked into court wearing a dark blue suit and red tie after telling reporters the case was ‘outrageous’ and an ‘attack on America’.
‘This is a persecution like never before. It’s an attack on America, and that’s why I’m very proud to be here,” he said.
Then he sat at his desk with his lawyer, hands clasped on the desk.
Trump stepped in behind his lead attorney Todd Blanche, paused for a split second, licked his lips, then began walking up the courtroom aisle.
“Good morning, Mr. Trump,” Judge Juan Merchan said cordially as he officially called the case and invited the lawyers to introduce themselves.
Trump has frequently attacked Merchan with criticism and triggered a gag order after cracking down on his daughter’s ties to the Democratic Party.
The presumptive Republican presidential nominee looked defiant as he exited Trump Tower on Monday morning, waving to waiting fans and photographers as he boarded his motorcade.
Before leaving, he spoke on his social media platform, Truth Social, about the ‘real’ case and the ‘corrupt’ charge.
Trump walked into court wearing a dark blue suit and red tie after telling reporters the case was ‘outrageous’ and an ‘attack on America’
The presumptive Republican presidential nominee sat at the defense table next to House Attorney Todd Blanche with his hands clasped.
‘When I walk into that courtroom I know I will have the love of 200 million Americans behind me and I will fight for the FREEDOM of 325 MILLION AMERICANS!’ he wrote.
Trump and his team of lawyers argue that the prosecution is political and that the trial is a ‘witch hunt’ to prevent him from running for president again.
Court was surrounded by protesters and photographers as he made the four-mile journey downtown to 100 Center Street.
Lawyers from both sides now have the arduous task of selecting a panel of 12 impartial jurors from a pool of hundreds of Manhattan residents.
Experts believe that the selection process can take between five days and two weeks.
The trial itself – which is expected to last between six and eight weeks – will be full of bombshell testimony and drama, the result of years of scandal.
The trial alleging the former president, 77, falsified records to cover up payments to porn star Stormy Daniels was due to begin on March 25 but will now begin on April 15
Trump told reporters the case was ‘outrageous’ and ‘this is a prosecution like no one has ever seen before’
The former president, 77, faces 34 counts of falsifying business records to cover up a $130,000 payment he made to Stormy Daniels for an alleged affair.
Trump walks into Manhattan Criminal Court, downtown, with attorneys Todd Blanche and Emil Bove, waving to the assembled crowds
Trump and his team of lawyers argue that the prosecution is political and that the trial is a ‘witch hunt’ to prevent him from running for president again
Witnesses will testify to lurid allegations of hotel suite meetings, blockbuster TV interviews and backroom deals involving the presumptive Republican presidential nominee.
The case centers on the payment to Daniels by then-Trump fixer Michel Cohen prior to the 2016 presidential election to keep her quiet about an alleged sexual encounter with Trump in 2006.
She claims it happened less than four months after Melania Trump gave birth to the couple’s son, Barron.
Since then, there have been legal twists and turns at every corner, while Trump has spent four years in the White House and is now in the midst of a bid for another term.
Journalists and members of the public had to pass through two sets of airport-style security systems before entering the overflow courtroom to watch jury selection – the main courtroom was supposed to be full of potential jurors.
The second security set involved a fingertip search and all glass bottles or containers were removed.
The court was surrounded by barricades and a heavy police presence as the former president entered the courtroom
The court was surrounded by protesters and photographers as Trump’s motorcade made the four-mile journey downtown to 100 Center Street
Camera crews and media lined up outside the courthouse on the first day of Stormy Daniel’s hush money trial
Anti-Trump protesters with large banners stand outside the Manhattan Criminal Court House at 100 Center Street in New York City on Monday, awaiting the former president’s arrival
A Trump supporter holds a flag supporting the former president’s re-election outside the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse on Monday ahead of his arrival
No one was allowed to leave the courtroom when Trump arrived on the 15th floor. A member of the public protested that he could not go, had a verbal altercation with court staff and asked for one of their names.
The overflow room had three large TVs broadcasting a live stream from the main courtroom. The trial is not televised to the general public.
The television screens showed the table where Trump and his lawyers would sit, the prosecutor’s table and the judge.
The jury was not shown to avoid identifying them.