On Monday Donald Trump took his seat in the New York courtroom, becoming the first ex-president in the history of US to stand criminal trial, a moment in the 2024 presidential campaign.
The Republican struck a defiant stance, telling journalists outside the gritty Manhattan courthouse that his trial was an outrage and an assault on America.
He then marched into the courtroom, walking past nine rows of wooden benches with a stern expression and followed by his legal team.
Trump is accused of falsifying business records in a scheme to cover up an alleged sexual encounter with adult film actress Stormy Daniels to shield his 2016 election campaign from a last-minute upheaval.
The hush money affair is only one of four criminal cases hanging over Trump, including historic prosecutions against the Republican’s alleged attempts to subvert the 2020 election and prevent the winner, Joe Biden, from taking office.
If convicted in the hush money case, Trump would face years in prison, but legal observers consider this unlikely.
The prospect of Trump becoming a convicted felon throws an unprecedented wild card into an already unpredictable November 5 election, where he wants to defeat Biden and return to power.
On Monday his campaign released a video portraying Trump with the trappings of the presidency and warning his supporters that they want to take away my freedom because I will never let them take away your freedoms.
Last week Trump said that he would take the stand in the trial a highly unusual and often risky move for defendants.
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