Trump's historic New York hush money trial begins today with jury selection
The proceedings mark the first time a former president has stood trial on criminal charges, with Trump facing 34 counts of felony falsification of business records.
Donald Trump is making history Monday as the first former president to stand trial on criminal charges, a watershed moment for American politics, the presidential election and Trump himself.
Trump — the presumptive Republican nominee for president — is required to be present for the entire trial, which could last as long as eight weeks. He’s pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records, a low-level felony punishable by up to four years in prison. The trial kicks off Monday with jury selection.
"This is a persecution like never before. Nobody’s ever seen anything like it," Trump told reporters in a courthouse hallway, saying the case "should never have been brought" and is "an assault on America."
"This is really an attack on a political opponent. That's all it is. I’m very honored to be here," he said.
The proceedings began with Judge Juan Merchan ruling on Trump's motion that he recuse himself from the case because he believes he's biased and has a conflict of interest since his daughter's company does work for Democratic candidates.
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