Today marks the beginning of opening statements in the criminal trial of former President Donald Trump in New York. The prosecution will lay out their case, accusing Trump of falsifying business records to conceal a "hush money" payment during his 2016 campaign. On the other hand, the defense is expected to argue that the evidence against Trump is weak and based on an untrustworthy key witness.
This trial has been in the making for almost eight years, tracing back to the fall of 2016 when Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen paid $130,000 to adult film star Stormy Daniels to keep quiet about an alleged sexual encounter, just days before the election. Prosecutors claim that Trump reimbursed Cohen for the payment through monthly installments during his first year as president, disguising them as payments for legal services to hide the nature of the "hush money." Last year, Trump was charged with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.
Trump, who has pleaded not guilty, refutes any claims of a sexual encounter and dismisses the case as a "witch hunt" and "election interference."
Trump's anger over the case was palpable last week as the trial began with the selection of the jury. In public, he criticized Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, Judge Juan Merchan, and Michael Cohen on social media. However, inside the courtroom, Trump remained composed, speaking infrequently and even dozing off at times as the pool of 192 potential jurors was narrowed down to twelve, along with six alternates.
This jury is making history as the first panel to pass judgment on a former president in a criminal trial.
Following the opening statements, prosecutors plan to have David Pecker, the former publisher of the National Enquirer, take the stand as their first witness.
Pecker is anticipated to testify about a "catch and kill" scheme orchestrated by himself, Cohen, and Trump. This scheme involved Pecker's publication buying the rights to damaging stories about Trump and burying them, while simultaneously publishing unfavorable stories about Trump's rivals.
