The highly anticipated hush money trial of former U.S. President Donald Trump is set to begin in New York City, with final jurors being seated this week. This marks the first criminal trial of a former president in the history of the United States. Prosecutors are alleging a scheme to cover up negative stories during Trump’s 2016 campaign.
Trump’s legal team has been pushing back against pretrial rulings and attempting to delay the trial, including a failed request to delay the trial in an appeals court. Despite this, opening statements are scheduled to begin on Monday.
The trial has not been without dramatic moments, as emergency crews responded to a man who set himself on fire outside the courthouse. Dozens of potential jurors have been dismissed over bias concerns, and some have expressed anxiety about the media attention surrounding the case.
Trump has been using the trial as a political rallying cry, calling it a politically motivated “witch hunt.” He is also seeking to have a gag order lifted and could potentially face contempt of court for his social media posts.
If Trump decides to testify in the trial, prosecutors want to question him about prior legal entanglements. The case centers around a $130,000 payment made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels to prevent claims of a sexual encounter with Trump from becoming public.
Trump is facing 34 felony counts of falsifying business records and could be sentenced to up to four years in prison if convicted. He is also involved in three other criminal cases related to the 2020 election results, which are facing delays. The trial is expected to be closely watched as it unfolds.
