Former U.S. President Donald Trump’s hush-money trial in New York City is underway, with the selection of 12 jurors proving to be a challenging task on the first day. Roughly half of the 100 potential jurors questioned were dismissed due to their inability to impartially judge the polarizing figure.
Trump, a New York native who now resides in Florida, faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to cover up a hush-money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels just before the 2016 election. The former president has pleaded not guilty and denies any wrongdoing, claiming the payment was personal and meant to spare his family embarrassment.
While Trump faces multiple criminal cases, the hush-money trial may be the only one to go to trial before the upcoming election. If convicted, Trump could still run for office and serve as president if elected, but a Reuters/Ipsos poll indicates that a significant portion of independents and Republicans would not vote for him if found guilty.
The trial is expected to last through May, with jury selection taking up the rest of the week. Witnesses such as Stormy Daniels, Trump’s former fixer Michael Cohen, and former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker are expected to testify. Despite facing legal challenges, Trump remains defiant, criticizing the judge and maintaining his innocence in all four criminal cases.