The Trump campaign arrived at the New York Supreme Criminal Court on Monday morning.
Donald Trump delivered a speech in the courtroom hallway, while one of his most loyal hucksters worked the crowd outside and C-list talking heads took their seats in an overflow room to watch the proceedings .
This is what the first day of Trump’s first criminal trial looked like.
The history books will record that the first-ever trial of a former commander-in-chief, a momentous day for the nation and the world, opened with a discussion over whether the evidence could include unproven allegations of sexual assault against him (no, said the judge). Juan Merchan) or headline that the father of his 2016 rival, Ted Cruz, was somehow involved in the JFK assassination (yes, the judge ruled).
Through it all, in Courtroom 1530 in downtown New York, the defendant made his displeasure clear.
Donald Trump pursed his lips, crossed his arms and clearly expressed his displeasure during the first morning of his first criminal trial on Monday in New York.
Trump arrives for the first day of his trial for allegedly concealing hush money payments linked to extramarital affairs, at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York.
Donald Trump sat impassively, with narrowed eyes and pursed lips as his lawyers fought with prosecutors over how many salacious (and false) National Enquirer headlines could be shown to jurors and whether they could hearing people say “grab them by their p***”. **s’ or if they could only read the transcriptions of the famous Access Hollywood tape.
The Manhattan district attorney’s team sat side by side at his desk.
In contrast, Trump dominated the space within his legal team. He leaned back in his chair or leaned forward to stare at a video screen, like a silverback gorilla reminding the courtroom who was boss.
When a decision went against him – such as when Judge Juan Merchan ruled that he would not recuse himself – he briefly showed his frustration, giving a small angry nod of his head.
But at other times he gave the impression of a lawyer: eyebrows furrowed, head tilted as if considering the judge’s decision regarding the admission of Molineux’s evidence.
On the surface, the charges are prosaic: 34 counts of manipulation of business records.
But underneath, prosecutors say, was a plot to pay off two women, including a porn star, Stormy Daniels, and hide their affair from voters in the run-up to the 2016 election.
The charges are perhaps the least serious of 88 charges against him in four different criminal cases – including accusations that he endangered national security by keeping secret intelligence files or attempting to overturn the 2020 elections – but they could prove to be the most consequential.
The New York deal will likely be the only one to be finalized before the November elections.
And it will provide a whole host of lines of attack for President Joe Biden’s campaign and doubts for undecided voters.
Anti-Trump protesters gathered outside the courthouse Monday morning.
Trump accuses prosecutors of ‘political persecution’ in courtroom hallway
Trump with his legal team, from left: Todd Blanche, Emil Bove and Susan Necheles
Jury selection was scheduled to begin Monday, but first the two legal teams had to consider a series of arguments about what evidence was admissible and what was not.
Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass has asked to present evidence about the Trump 2016 campaign’s coordination with The National Enquirer.
The stories included blockbuster stories about his 2016 rivals, including that Sen. Marco Rubio was a drug addict and mired in a sex scandal.
He said they were part of a deal at Trump Tower between the campaign and National Enquire owner American Media Inc to hide damaging stories in a practice known as “catching and kill.”
“This evidence will only confuse the jury as to the actual crime charged,” Todd Blanche said for the defense, and he said the stories were carefully selected.
But he also said there was nothing “illegal” or “inappropriate” about an editor and a campaign meeting to discuss stories.
Merchan ruled that prosecutors would be allowed to present them.
As always, Trump had to use his appearance to sow doubt about the debates, which constitutes a form of election interference, and do everything he could to maintain his campaign.
Reporters follow the proceedings via video link, with split-screen views of the prosecution (bottom left), Team Trump (bottom right) and Judge Juan Merchan at top.
Outside the court, a maze of barricades kept protesters away from Trump’s criminal trial.
Trump impersonator speaks with far-right podcast host and Trump ally Laura Loomer
“This is an attack on America,” he told reporters in the hallway outside Courtroom 1530.
“Nothing like this has ever happened before – there has never been anything like this.
“All the lawyers say it’s absurd and it should never have been brought. It doesn’t deserve anything like that. There is no case.
His appearance brought out a familiar group of people who became famous thanks to his coattails (on both sides).
George Conway, who split with Trump pollster Kellyanne Conway after becoming increasingly vocal in his opposition to the then-president, sat with reporters to watch the hearing unfold in the room courtroom 1523, an overflow room.
Outside, his loyal ally Laura Loomer, known for promoting conspiracy theories, worked with a crowd of Trump supporters, stopping occasionally for media stunts.
A maze of barricades kept pedestrians away from Trump’s criminal trial.
The case revolves around payments allegedly made to Stormy Daniels to hide an affair.
Journalists arrived early to be seated in an additional room to follow the proceedings
Trump waved as he left Trump Tower Monday morning to head to the downtown courthouse.
The security agents, harassed, directed the journalists in one direction then in another.
Protesters held signs reading “Loser” and “Condemn Trump Already.”
The journalists were checked twice with magnetometers. Bags checked then searched again.
On the 15th floor, a makeshift enclosure had been constructed for a handful of photographers and journalists to document the former president’s arrival in the 1530 courtroom.
Trump showed defiance as he left his Trump Tower home around 8:30 a.m., waving to onlookers.
And he maintained a steady stream of social media posts and fundraising emails in the 24 hours before his appearance, accusing his opponents of using the courts to keep him off the campaign trail.
“The Democratic radical left is already cheating in the 2024 presidential election by launching, or helping to bring, all these fake lawsuits against me, thereby forcing me to sit in courthouses and spend money that could be used for campaigning, instead of being on the ground to knock out crooked Joe Biden, the worst president in the history of the United States,” he posted on his Truth Social website.
“Election interference!” »
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