Former president Donald Trump’s hush money trial began Monday, marking the first time an ex-president has been tried on criminal charges.
The presumptive Republican presidential nominee is charged with 34 felony counts related to his alleged efforts to conceal $130,000 in hush money payments made in 2016 to silence claims he had an extramarital affair with adult film star Stormy Daniels. Prosecutors are expected to link the case to allegations of a “catch and kill” scheme to bury other negative stories about Trump before the election.
Trump is represented by Todd Blanche and Susan Necheles, two experienced New York attorneys hand-picked by the former president for this particular case.
Blanche left a career at Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft to start a firm and represent Trump, while Necheles has experience representing the Trump Organization in the past, according to The Washington Post.
Across from Trump’s team are Susan Hoffinger and Joshua Steinglass, chosen by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg to lead the prosecution. Steinglass has experience prosecuting high-profile murder cases and will question witnesses and give closing arguments.
Trump’s former attorney Michael Cohen, who served jail time on campaign finance charges related to his role in facilitating the payments, is expected to testify, as is Daniels. Judge Juan Merchan is presiding.
On Thursday, Merchan announced that 12 jurors had been selected, and the case will move forward.
Follow along for live updates from the trial:
7th Juror Is Added, Judge Hopes To Begin Opening Arguments Monday
A seventh juror was also selected: A married civil litigator who likes spending time outside with his kids, and noted that he listens to the "Smartless" and "Car Talk" podcasts.
Prospective Juror Talks Of Personal Link To ‘Central Park Five’
When a prospective juror who said he grew up on the Upper West Side was asked what he thought of Trump as a native New Yorker, he replied, “Oh boy.”
"Here we go. Going back to Central Park, I knew some of the kids, their cousins,” said the juror, an older Black man who once held jobs in law enforcement. He said that he understood how a person could purchase space in a publication to run whatever they wanted, though, as Trump did.
The man also spoke admiringly of Trump at one point, saying, “I like the response that he gets from other people."
The Vetting Process Slogs Onward
“As I’m sitting here reflecting, deeply, I do have concerns, yes, your honor,” the teacher admitted.
A father of two teens who lives on the Upper East Side and works in real estate development said that, by virtue of his lifestyle, “There are people that I’ve known that know the [former] president.”
“It wouldn’t in any way influence my thinking, but I just wanted to state [it],” the man said in a faltering voice.
Jurors Chosen So Far Are A Cross-Section Of Manhattanites
The six include a soon-to-be-married native New Yorker who works as an oncology nurse; an Asian corporate lawyer from Oregon who likes to hike and run; a dark-haired young woman employed as a software engineer by the Walt Disney Company; and a married father originally from Puerto Rico who deadpanned that he had “no spare time” during questioning. Serving as the jury's foreperson will be an outdoorsy salesman originally from Ireland who now lives in Harlem with his wife.
A younger Black teacher from Harlem who was chosen had acknowledged the fact of political divisions earlier in the day, saying, "There was a divide in the country and I can’t ignore that ... however, I never equated that to one individual.”
With Six Jurors Seated, 96 Additional Potential Jurors Are Sworn In
They’ll first be asked to self-exclude themselves if they believe they cannot be fair and impartial in the case.
Half Of Trump’s Jury Has Now Been Selected And Sworn In
Merchan said he hopes to select six alternate jurors in addition to the 12 selected to be on the panel.
So far, Trump’s team has used six of his 10 preemptory strikes, including one for the juror who posted videos of New Yorkers celebrating Joe Biden’s win back in 2020. Prosecutors have used four of their 10 strikes.
We’re 1/4 Of The Way To A Jury (Not Counting Alternates)
Trump’s legal team has been meticulously combing through social media posts by potential jurors and their close family, seeking to have anyone with a whiff of anti-Trump sentiment disqualified.
Court Litigates Bad Political Humor
Merchan declined to strike the potential juror for her husband’s posts, saying that it was probably a good sign if this was the worst Trump’s team could dig up on her.
Potential Juror Struck For Anti-Trump Post
"Good news!! Trump lost his court battle on his unlawful travel ban!!! Get him out and lock him up,” the post read.
The man in question is a married creative director who likes to hike and cook, and said Monday that he had no strong feelings about Trump or how he was being treated in this case.
“This is a person who expressed at least at one time years ago the desire that Trump be locked up,” Merchan said before striking him.
Judge In Hush Money Trial Gives Trump A Stern Warning
“I won’t tolerate that. I will not have any jurors intimidated in this courtroom. I want to make that crystal clear,” Merchan said, raising his voice every so slightly. He told Blanche to make the point clear for his client.
Potential Juror Questioned Over Facebook Posts From 2020 Election
The woman posted about the cheers, celebratory honking and block parties that consumed parts of New York City once the call was made. Blanche described it as “extraordinarily hostile.” Steinglass called the problem with the juror’s social media posts “ridiculous.”
“I think I went to move the car to alternate side parking or something like that, and there were people dancing in the street and stuff,” the juror said when brought in for individual questioning. “It reminded me of the 7 p.m. cheer … which we did with my kids for a very long time out on the fire escape.”
She said it seemed like “part of history,” and affirmed for Merchan that she could remain fair and unbiased in the trial. The potential juror in question works in education and has lived in upper Manhattan for around seven years with her husband, two kids and a dog. She said she enjoys sewing and gets her news from a variety of sources including USA Today, HuffPost and CNN.
The judge declined to dismiss the juror for cause. “She provided what I believe were reasonable explanations for both [posts],” he said.
We’re Back
Blanche took particular umbrage at a video the juror posted on Election Day 2020, depicting the juror joining in a mass celebration after Biden won.
Merchan agrees that the video does appear to be “an anti-Trump event” and has called the juror in for questioning.
Potential Jurors Have Mixed, Mild Politics
One woman, a grandmother who has lived on the Lower East Side for over 50 years, said she probably agreed with “very little” of Trump’s politics, but has had “decent conversations” with people who support Trump.
“I didn’t sleep last night thinking, ‘could I really do this?’ It’s just so important,” she said.
One potential juror said that her social media accounts are centered around her love of sports rather than news and politics. Another, an oncology nurse, said she “didn’t really” have an opinion on Trump. “I’m here for my civic duty,” she said.
One man said that he had “a lot of friends in law enforcement that are fairly pro-Trump” but that he did not personally follow national politics very much. That perspective was echoed by another prospect, an attorney, who said he probably has more opinions on local politics than politics at the national level. Another man appeared to stump Blanche when he said he found Trump “fascinating and mysterious.”
"He walks into a room and he sets people off one way or another," the juror said. "I find that really interesting. Really, this one guy can do all of this? Wow, that’s what I think."
Dismissed Juror Has 1 Word To Describe What It’s Like Seeing Trump In Person
She estimated she was seated around 30 feet from the former president all day on Monday.
"I had never seen him in person before, you know," she said. "And you see someone blown up so larger than life on the media for so many years, to see them in person is very jarring."
She added: “You get the sense that this is just another guy. And also he sees me talking about him, which is bizarre.”
McGee said that when she received her summons, she had no idea it would be for the Trump hush-money trial.
“And then I get here yesterday and there’s a massive line and Trump protesters and counter-protesters … and our holding room had something like 250 people in it, so I assumed that was it.”
Watch the full interview here.
Trump Attorney Spars With Potential Juror Over His Political Views
One of them, a middle aged bookseller, went back and forth with him when asked whether he could judge Trump in a fair and impartial manner.
“What I think of President Trump outside of this room has nothing to do with what goes on inside this room,” the potential juror said.
“What is your view of Trump?” Blanche asked.
“That’s what I’m saying, is my view doesn’t matter,” the jury prospect responded.
“If we’re sitting at a bar?” Blanche asked.
“Then I’d be happy to tell you. But what I feel about President Trump is not important or imperative,” the man said.
He volunteered the fact that he is a Democrat — which the attorneys are not allowed to ask — and emphasized strongly that he believed he could “compartmentalize.”
Prosecutor’s Hitman Analogy Appears To Irritate Trump Attorneys
He asked them to consider the example of a man who hired a hitman to kill his wife. The man would still be responsible for his wife's death even if he weren’t anywhere near the scene of the crime, Steinglass said.
While he spoke, Trump turned to his attorneys, who looked annoyed. Trump appeared alert during this stage of questioning, often craning his neck to look at the individual jurors who were responding to questions.
Steinglass also told the prospects they would be asked to “determine the defendant’s intent.” He noted that while he knows it’s impossible to see inside someone’s head, juries are charged with determining intent “every day.” One way they do so, he said, is to “rely on commonsense clues to help you make this determination," such as "the surrounding circumstances" of the hush money payment and alleged cover-up.
Prosecutor To Potential Jurors: ‘We’re Not Trying To Pry Into Your Lives’
Trump Smiles And Nods When Potential Juror Says He’s Read His Books
The prospective juror, a father of an adult daughter, said he was originally from Boston and had run “sales and revenue for a software company” for around 25 years. Some of his current wife’s family members lobby on behalf of the Republican Party, he said, adding that he used to follow Trump on Twitter when he was president.
The man prompted follow-up questioning from Merchan, however, when he suggested he might talk about the proceedings when he got home.
“I would be lying if I said I would not discuss it to some degree with my wife."
The judge said he could talk about basics but nothing specific, and the man seemed reluctant to say he could comply, but he did believe he could be fair and impartial.
Trump Closes His Eyes While Jurors Read Off Questionnaire Responses
Yesterday, reporters watching Trump on a screen in the courthouse also saw him close his eyes, although it is not clear whether he is actually dozing off.
Welcome To Day 2 Of Trump's Hush Money Trial. Here's What We Know So Far.
- Prosecutors want to see Trump held in contempt for violating a gag order by posting about witnesses on social media. Trump faces a potential fine of $3,000 for the trio of posts. A hearing on the matter has been scheduled for next Tuesday.
- No jurors have been selected yet, but the pool has narrowed drastically. More than half of the potential jurors self-excused yesterday on the basis that they could not be fair and impartial in the case.
- Trump complained to reporters yesterday about having to attend court every day, just like every other criminal defendant. In (potentially) related news, the former president may have fallen asleep during yesterday’s proceedings.
Biden Set To Campaign In Scranton This Afternoon
Juror Excused After Admitting Republican Bias
"Growing up, a bunch of family and friends were Republicans and it's probably going to be tough to be impartial," the juror said before being excused.
Bragg Files Motion To Hold Trump In Criminal Contempt Over Gag Order Violations
"Defendant is not above the law, and he cannot simply disregard judicial orders that upset him," Bragg wrote. "And both the public and the participants in the criminal trial deserve reassurance that the judicial system stands ready to protect them and to preserve the rule of law in the face of defendant's extreme and deliberate provocations."
Trump over the last week has criticized Cohen and Daniels as "liars." In a Truth Social post on April 10, he wrote that they are "two sleaze bags who have, with their lies and misrepresentations, cost our Country dearly!"
Prospective Jurors Are Led Into The Courtroom
Trump Takes Seat Inside Courtroom
Judge Juan Merchan has also entered the courtroom, HuffPost's Sara Boboltz reports.
Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg Arrives At The Courthouse
Trump Is Seated With His Attorneys
Only around 30 potential jurors remained in the courtroom at the end of Monday, with nine having made it through the 42-item juror questionnaire. No one has been chosen for the 12-person panel yet, however, and the process could end up taking multiple days. Each side has 10 passes they can use to strike a juror for any reason; they may also voice an objection to any juror and allow the judge to mediate.
Trump Makes Statement To Media On His Way In
He again attacked Judge Merchan. "We have a Trump-hating judge. We have a judge who shouldn't be on this case. He's totally conflicted," Trump said, per pool reports.
"I was paying a lawyer and marked it down legal expense. An accountant I didn't know marked it down as a legal expense. That's exactly what it was. And you get indicted over that?" he said.
"I should be right now in Pennsylvania and Florida. In many other states, North Carolina, Georgia, campaigning. This is all coming from the Biden White House because the guy can't put two sentences together. He can't campaign."
He thanked reporters for being there.
Truth Social Parent Company Plans To Launch Streaming Platform
"The streaming content is expected to focus on live TV including news networks, religious channels, family-friendly content including films and documentaries; and other content that has been cancelled, is at risk of cancellation, or is being suppressed on other platforms and services," reads a press release previewing the launch.
Despite the announcement of its new venture, the Florida-based company has struggled to find its footing as filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission showed it lost over $58 million last year.
Trump Blasts Judge Over Gag Order
"I want to speak, or at least be able to respond. Election Interference! RIGGED, UNCONSTITUTIONAL TRIAL! Take off the Gag Order!!!" Trump wrote.
Trump Arrives At Courthouse For Day 2 Of His Trial
Trump Complains He Has To Miss SCOTUS Hearing Because Of Trial
“This shows such great disdain and disrespect for our Nation’s Highest Court, especially for a topic so important as Presidential Immunity, without which our Country would never be the same!” Trump posted.
Earlier in court, Merchan ruled that Trump could not miss court for the Supreme Court hearing.
“Arguing before the Supreme Court is a big deal, and I can certainly appreciate why your client would want to be there, but a trial in New York Supreme Court … is also a big deal,” Merchan told Trump’s lawyer.
After Court, Trump Complains About Having To Be In Court
Trump blamed “a very conflicted judge” for not allowing him “to escape this scam trial” by skipping court.
Court Is Adjourned
Before adjourning, Merchan denied a request from Trump's team about the former president wanting to be present for his Supreme Court immunity arguments next week.“Arguing before the Supreme Court is a big deal, and I can certainly appreciate why your client would want to be there, but a trial in New York Supreme Court … is also a big deal,” the judge said.He added: “I will see him here next week."
Prospective Juror: 'Nobody Is Above The Law'
Responding to a question about whether he had strong beliefs about whether a former president may be criminally charged, one man, an Upper West Side bookseller, said: "I feel that nobody is above the law, whether it be a former president or a sitting president or a janitor."
Key Moments In The Trial So Far
- Jury selection in Trump’s first criminal trial is ongoing, with more than half of the potential jurors self-excusing on the basis that they could not be fair and impartial in the case.
- No jurors were selected by the time court adjourned Monday. The process is set to resume Tuesday morning.
- Prosecutors want to see Trump fined $3,000 for a trio of social media posts they say violate a gag order, with subsequent violations potentially resulting in jail time. Judge Merchan scheduled a hearing on the matter for Tuesday, April 23.
- Trump cast the trial as a "witch hunt" and a "scam" as he exited the courtroom on Monday.
Jury Selection Inches Forward
Here’s How Attorneys Are Sorting Through Prospective Jurors
Read more about the process -- and the questionnaire -- here.
More Than Half Of Potential Jurors Self-Excuse As Trump Closes Eyes
Reporters in the courtroom observed Trump sitting back in his chair with his arms crossed and eyes closed during some of the proceedings.
Earlier, New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman said she saw Trump's "jaw fall open and his head fall onto his chest" as he apparently snoozed.
Judge Asks Batch Of Potential Jurors To Raise Hands If They Cannot Be Impartial
Going row by row, the judge then asked the group of nearly 100 Manhattanites to self-identify if they could not be fair and impartial in the case, thanking them as he went.
Judge Swears In Potential Jurors
Some potential jurors strained their necks to catch a glimpse of the former president. As he was introduced, Trump stood and glanced at the potential jurors with a slight smirk.
Jurors Now Filing Into Courtroom
Also: Merchan moved the hearing on Trump’s potential gag order violations to 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, April 23.
Trump Gestures In Conversation With Lawyer
Judge Warns Juror Names Not To Be Copied ‘In Any Way, Shape Or Form’
Did Trump Nod Off?
HuffPost’s Sara Boboltz is in the courthouse and confirmed Trump had his eyes closed at certain points, but couldn’t definitively say the former president had actually fallen asleep.
Hearing To Be Held On Request To Hold Trump In Contempt Of Court
Prosecutors argue that Trump violated Merchan's gag order by way of several social media posts about witnesses in the trial, despite being ordered to stay silent on the parties involved.
We’re Back
Prosecutors Want Trump Fined For Violating Gag Order
At a requested $1,000 fine per post, that would amount to $3,000, plus prosecutors are requesting Merchan warn Trump that further violations could lead to jail time.
Blanche countered that the content in the posts doesn’t actually violate the gag order.
"It’s not as if President Trump is going off and targeting individuals,” Blanche argued. “He’s responding to salacious repeated … attacks by these witnesses.”
Judge Warns Trump: You Will Be Jailed If You Disrupt This Trial
“If you disrupt the proceedings in any way, the law permits the court to exclude you from court, commit you to jail, and continue the trial in your absence,” the judge said. Failing to show up will similarly result in an arrest warrant to be issued.
Michael Avenatti Thinks Trump Will Be Convicted
“Trump will be convicted,” Avenatti said, speaking via phone from Terminal Island Prison in Los Angeles last week. “He’s a criminal defendant and in our society I don’t believe that criminal defendants generally get a fair shake … the percentage of convictions demonstrates that the deck is stacked decidedly against all criminal defendants.”
Avenatti is serving a 14-year prison sentence for tax and wire fraud, in addition to a consecutive five-year sentence for attempting to extort Nike for tens of millions of dollars and for defrauding Daniels.
Watch the full interview here.
Finally, Merchan Gives Details On How Jury Selection Will Work
First round questioning may last up to 30 minutes, and second round questioning may last up to 20 minutes. Selecting a jury is expected to take several days; Merchan said about 500 jurors are currently waiting in the courthouse.
Trump, meanwhile, is flipping through a document on his table. His laptop screen is dark.
Judge Says Attack Tweets Are Admissible
Prosecutors Want To Describe Trump’s Attacks On Witnesses Over The Years
Merchan said he would rule on the issue later.
Shares In Trump Media Are Tanking
Shares in the beleaguered social media company fell 16% on the news, which would dilute the value of current shares. The stock also traded down nearly 20% over the last week, and has lost more than 60% of its value from a late-March peak.
Truth Social generated $4.1 million in revenue in 2023 — and lost $58 million.
Judge Will Not Allow Other Allegations Of Trump Sexual Assault
Judge Will Not Allow 'Access Hollywood' Tape Itself To Be Played
The Washington Post’s October 2016 report on the tape meant that Trump’s presidential debate preparation was “interrupted and eclipsed by the need to do damage control” to emphasize that Trump was just engaging in “locker room talk,” Steinglass said.
He added that “Daniels was living proof that the defendant wasn’t all talk."
Merchan said he stood by his decision that the tape itself was not admissible because it “is just so prejudicial,” but the email exchange is relevant.
“What I didn’t want was for jurors to hear this in Trump’s voice,” Merchan said. Prosecutors can describe the tape and speak about Trump's specific language.
Trump Attorney Dismisses Proposed Evidence As 'Salacious With No Value'
From the pool just now:
[Prosecutor Joshua] Steinglass is asking to introduce evidence about Karen McDougal, a former Playboy model who has claimed to have an affair with Trump, specifically that Trump believed that her story would be damaging to his campaign and was involved in securing the rights to the story. But [Trump's attorney Todd] Blanche calls it "literally just salacious with no value." Steinglass angrily protests; Merchan says his previous ruling on McDougal stands but that he will not permit, at this point, that Trump's wife was pregnant with a child at the time.
Biden's Schedule
Later this afternoon, Biden will hold a bilateral meeting with Petr Fiala, the prime minister of the Czech Republic.
Judge Allows Evidence Of Trump's Collusion With David Pecker
Judge Denies Trump’s Latest Motion For Recusal
The judge also addressed Trump’s complaint about his daughter working for a firm whose clients include Democratic candidates, saying, "to say that these claims are attenuated is an understatement."
Judge Merchan Is Seated And Proceedings Begin
See The First Picture Of Trump Inside The Courtroom
Trump Huddles To Speak With Attorney As Alvin Bragg Enters
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has now entered the courtroom.
House Judiciary GOP Blasts Bragg For Prosecuting Trump
The GOP arm of the House Judiciary Committee shared a video on X, formerly Twitter, claiming Bragg is "spending all of his time attacking President Trump rather than cleaning up his own streets."
However, experts and city officials cited by The Associated Press note that crime across New York City is considerably down compared to the 1990s and while a small uptick was recorded in 2022, those numbers have since fallen back down.
Where's Melania? Not At The Trial
The former first lady has made very few public appearances since leaving the White House. Occasionally messages will appear on her social media accounts hawking NFTs or other items.
Former aide Stephanie Grisham said last week that the news of Trump's affair with Stormy Daniels was "humiliating" for Melania Trump, who did not take it "lightly."
"And I can guarantee you that she's not happy right now and that he's quite worried about that," Grisham said. She said the former first lady would likely push her husband to take the stand in the trial.
Trump Is Seated In The Courtroom
Trump: This Is 'Political Persecution'
"This is really an attack on a political opponent, that's all it is," he said. "So I'm very honored to be here."
'No One Is Above The Law'
Trump Waves At Supporters Upon Arrival
Trump Says 'Justice Will Be Done' On Election Day
"We will take back our country and we will make America great again," he said in the video, which featured clips of his journey to the courthouse.
Trump also claimed he is being wrongly prosecuted.
"They wanna silence me because I will never let them silence you," he said.
Trump Has Arrrived
Trump Supporters Gather Outside The Court
Donald Trump Is On The Way To The Courthouse
Trump waved his hand briefly before entering his car.
How Lawyers On Both Sides Will Eliminate Potential Jurors
Each side — attorneys for the defense and prosecution — will be allowed to challenge a juror “for cause” and allow Merchan to arbitrate, although party affiliation cannot be used as such a reason. Each side will also be allowed 10 juror strikes they can wield for any reason.
The 12 jurors will be anonymous in this case for reasons of security, but lawyers for each side will be given their names so they can search the internet and social media for potential conflicts.
Read the juror questionnaire (starting at Page 11) here.