Monday marked the historic first day of Donald Trump’s criminal hush money trial in New York. He is the first former president to stand trial in a criminal case.
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Outside the New York Court where jury selection has begun, critics of Trump chanted “No one is above the law”.
Trump supporters hold a different opinion with signs mimicking what the former president calls the trial “a witch hunt”.
Both groups made their statements as the criminal hush money trial began.
Trump was accused of paying off adult film actress Stormy Daniels in 2016 to keep silent about an affair.
Trump denied the affair and pleaded not guilty to 34 felony charges of falsifying business records. Both sides claim the case is about election interference.
“It’s hard to overstate how significant this really is. It’s the first time in the history of the country that we’ve sen a former president on trial in a criminal case. And by the way, not just the former president, that candidate for the presidency of the United States, and the presumptive Republican nominee for president,” News4JAX Political Analyst, Rick Mullaney said.
Mullaney said the court proceedings could keep the presidential candidate tied up for weeks. The White House is trying to keep its distance.
“I just want to be super, super mindful and not comment on an ongoing case even if it’s asking an opinion about the historic nature of what’s happening and what’s going to occur in the next couple of weeks,” White House Press Secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre said.
There are 42 questions listed on the juror questionnaire. Jury selection will continue until a panel of 12 New Yorkers plus alternates are seated. The selection process could take weeks.
“It may take some time, a week or two, to find those jurors, even then you’re not sure if they’re fair and impartial because you’re going to do the best you can. But it is a very challenging jury selection. This is more art than science for both the defense and the prosecution,” Mullaney said.
The trial could last as long as two months and it is expected to include testimony from well-known witnesses --including Michael Cohen, Stormy Daniels, and former White House staffers Hope Hicks and Kellyanne Conway.