First day of Trump’s hush-money trial concludes without jury selection

The historic hush-money trial of former President Donald Trump kicked off on Monday with the intense process of selecting a jury to hear the case. The trial revolves around allegations that Trump falsified business records to silence stories about his sex life.

Despite a full day of jury selection, no jurors were chosen, and the process is set to continue on Tuesday. This trial marks the first criminal trial of a former US president and comes as Trump aims to make a comeback to the White House.

Trump, who sat at the defense table with his lawyers, denounced the trial as a political witch hunt and a scam. He has portrayed himself as a victim of politically motivated prosecutions designed to thwart his candidacy.

The trial is a significant moment for Trump, who faces multiple indictments ranging from hoarding classified documents to attempting to overturn an election. However, a conviction would not necessarily prevent him from running for president again.

The day began with pretrial arguments and moved into jury selection, where Trump observed the potential jurors entering the courtroom. Judge Juan Merchan emphasized the importance of the jury system and outlined the case as the People of the State of New York vs. Donald Trump.

Despite facing 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, Trump has pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors allege that he made payments to his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, to keep adult film actor Stormy Daniels from revealing details of a sexual encounter with Trump. Trump’s defense maintains that the payments were legal expenses, not a cover-up.

The trial is expected to be closely watched as it unfolds, with Trump continuing to assert his innocence and decry the legal proceedings as a form of political persecution.