Highlights from Day 1 of Trump’s hush money trial during jury selection

Trump walked out of the courtroom and addressed a camera in the hallway, saying that the judge's refusal to allow him to attend Supreme Court arguments next week is proof of his unfairness.

"Looks like the judge is not going to allow me to escape this scam," Trump said.

Trump attorney Todd Blanche is asking Merchan to allow the former president to attend oral arguments scheduled for April 25 related to his presidential immunity argument before the Supreme Court in the election interference case. It is the first time Blanche has made that request.

Court adjourned at 4:40 p.m. ET

The judge is wrapping up for the day after about 10 potential jurors were able to read their survey responses — underscoring just how long the selection process may take. The first half of the day was spent handling motion arguments.

A prospective juror facing questioning was once a law clerk to former Chief Judge Janet DiFiore of the New York Court of Appeals, New York’s highest court.

DiFiore was nominated to the role of chief judge by then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo, and confirmed by the state Senate in 2016. She resigned in 2022 amid a dispute with the then-head of the New York State Court Officers Association. Prior to her work as chief judge, DiFiore served as Westchester County district attorney.

One anonymous potential juror — who works as an assistant district attorney in the Bronx — was asked what his girlfriend does for a living.

She works in finance, he said, but he also admitted to not knowing exactly what she does. Maybe he should be happy the jury is anonymous.

One potential juror — a man who works as a bookseller — said he could be fair. But didn't think Trump was above the law.

“I feel that nobody is above the law, whether it be a former president, or a sitting president," he said.

Trump is headed back into the courtroom after the short recess.

The jury selection process has paused for a brief recess.

Merchan dismissed a prospective juror this afternoon after she responded "Yes" to a question on the jury selection questionnaire about whether she had opinions about Trump.

Each potential juror had to fill out a 42-question survey. The first 18 are now reading through their answers.

Potential jurors who entered the courtroom with the first group were stretching their necks from the rows to get a look at Trump.

One woman sitting toward the back giggled and put her hand over her mouth, and then looked at another potential juror seated next to her with raised eyebrows.

More than half of the 96 potential jurors who were initially in the courtroom have been excused after Merchan asked them if they feel cannot be impartial and fair or cannot serve for some other reason.

Of those who were excused, more than two dozen were white women, according to a pool report from inside the courtroom.

The judge told the potential jurors that a number of figures could figure into the case in determining if any of them know them.

The names he read included: Rudy Giuliani, Sharon Churcher, Dan Scavino, Keith Schiller, Donald Trump Jr., Ivanka Trump, Melania Trump, John McEntee, Kellyanne Conway, and Jared Kushner

Trump's eyes are closed in the courtroom. He might be thinking or sleeping, but his eyes are shut tight.

The potential jurors have been brought into the courtroom and Merchan has now begun the process of informing them what will happen next.

The judge sent both sides a letter last week explaining what he would tell them during this process — including reading the charges and the names of the individuals who are involved in the case.

The judge said the hearing that he originally said would happen next Wednesday afternoon will now be held next Tuesday, April 23, at 9:30 a.m. ET.

The security screening of the jurors is complete and the selection process is continuing.

The jurors will be going through the same security process as all the reporters when entering the courtroom, which means two sets of magnetometers.

Merchan is off the bench as they wait for 96 potential jurors to enter.

Trump has been quite active talking with his defense in the short time since the trial process resumed after lunch.

The former president has been chatting with his lawyers Todd Blanche and Emil Bove.

Todd Blanche, Trump's lawyer, said the defense team doesn't have certain exhibits for the trial because they "just got" a raft of documents from the U.S. Attorney's Office a month ago.

Joshua Steinglass, one of the DA's prosecutors, countered that Trump's lawyers have buried the court in thousands of pages of frivolous motions.

"You have 24 hours," Merchan told Trump's defense. "Whatever you don’t identify in the next 24 hours, you will be precluded from using."

Trump's lawyer Todd Blanche asked when counsel will get the names of prospective jurors and how.

Merchan said that he would be handing the defense team and prosecution one copy of juror names and one copy of juror numbers.

The judge made clear that the list with the names cannot be copied or photographed and must be returned to the court.

Steinglass said Bragg’s office now wants to conduct a Sandoval hearing, which is designed to allow defendants to make an informed decision on whether to testify by providing a pre-trial determination of the permissible scope of cross-examination. Before a jury is seated, it is customary to determine whether there are potential Sandoval issues.

Merchan said he's ready to begin jury selection, so he will delay the discussions of Sandoval.

Merchan announced that instead of ruling on punishing Trump over a potential gag order violation today, he will hear arguments on the matter April 21 at 2:15 p.m. ET.

Trump has returned to the courtroom following a lunch break.

Trump filed a motion over the weekend seeking extensions for two filing deadlines in the Florida classified documents case on the basis that he and his attorneys will be too busy with the New York trial over the next six weeks. 

Trump is asking Judge Aileen Cannon, who is overseeing the Florida case, to push back the current May 9 deadline for his disclosure of expert witnesses and a submission to the Justice Department on what classified information he intends to use during the trial until three weeks after the end of his New York trial.

The trial is on a lunch break until 1:30 p.m.

Prosecutors said they want Merchan to punish Trump for violating the judge's gag order by sharing certain social media posts over the weekend.

They said they want the judge to sanction Trump for each of three posts, to tell Trump to take down the posts, and to warn him that another post could result in jail time.

Blanche said Trump intends to be present at the trial, but there may be an occasion that would warrant his absence. But it is Trump's intent to be present at every conference during jury selection, Blanche said.

Merchan said they will try to fit every potential juror in the jury room, but with the Secret Service accompanying Trump everywhere, it may not be possible to do so.

Merchan is talking about Trump's right to be present in court — known as Parker admonitions.

Merchan is talking directly to the former president for the first time all day, issuing a stark warning that if he fails to show up for trial without a reason a warrant will be issued for his arrest.

The N.Y. courts provide a script for these which is below:

The judge is going over the instructions for questioning potential jurors, known as voir dire.

He said that he will allow 30 minutes for the first round of questioning and 20 minutes for any subsequent rounds.

Steinglass said prosecutors don’t intend to introduce Cohen’s guilty plea as evidence of Trump’s guilt, despite that Cohen’s prosecution and guilty plea were something Merchan previously ruled fair game. The prosecutors seek to ensure they understand the judge's boundaries because the plea is speaks to Cohen’s credibility, and eliciting responses on the issue on direct examination is important to show the government’s transparency.

Cohen’s plea also explains why his public statements shifted, Steinglass said.

“This can’t wait until cross-examination,” he pleaded. Trump’s attack tweets on Cohen came right after the plea, so the fact and timing of the plea matters, he argued.

Steinglass goes on to compare Cohen to a co-defendant-turned-cooperator in a robbery, saying that his own guilt is a necessary part of his testimony.

Merchan says there are jurors waiting to start.

“We have about 500 jurors waiting on us. And to be honest with you I really am not interested in getting into this minutia,” he said.

The judge is back on the bench and hearing more motion arguments.

After a brief break, Trump is back in the courtroom.

Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass asked Trump's attorneys to argue why the former president shouldn't be held in contempt for allegedly violating the judge's gag order.

Steinglass argued that Trump's efforts have continued to this day, including spreading falsehoods and attacking Michael Cohen. He said the witnesses in the case “have incurred the wrath of Trump supporters,” adding that Trump "skillfully, obsessively” puts out posts attacking his opponents both in the political sphere and in court.

The court has taken a brief break.

Already this morning we’ve heard about the alleged scheme to “catch and kill” bad stories about Trump, the infamous "Access Hollywood" tape, the many allegations of sexual assault from various women that came out during the campaign — all while Trump sits at counsel table with little visible reaction. He’s leaning in at times to look at the evidence and videos being played, and whispering to his attorneys frequently, but often showing little outward emotion.

The judge said that his previous ruling that the prosecution can't play the "Access Hollywood" tape featuring Trump during the trial stands.

"The tape itself should not come in," he said.

We are getting a preview of the state’s opening statements this morning as the lawyers continue to fight over what evidence can come in at trial. 

The prosecution says it wants to introduce the "Access Hollywood" tape in part because of its timing, and the arguments are already impassioned. 

The theory is the Trump campaign went into “damage control” after it was released, making it even more essential to suppress Stormy Daniel’s alleged story about a tryst with Trump. Trump’s defense team says it’s too prejudicial.

Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass said that the district attorney's office will want to admit a transcript of the infamous "Access Hollywood" tape that resurfaced ahead of the 2016 presidential election.

The district attorney's office said the tape contains an admission of sexual assault, though he acknowledged that they cannot show the tape itself during the trial.

Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass discussed the admissibility of the summer 2015 meeting at Trump Tower between Cohen and David Pecker, who was the publisher of the National Enquirer at the time.

Steinglass asked for permission to admit certain exhibits, including articles in the Enquirer with positive headlines on Trump that were shown to him before publication so that he could suggest changes and/or approve them. Negative stories about Trump’s primary opponents in the 2016 presidential election cycle — particularly Ben Carson, and Republican Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Marco Rubio of Florida — were also reviewed by Trump and were designed to have maximum damaging impact.

As Trump’s hush money trial begins, here’s a look back at how Trump’s legal woes have boosted his campaign’s fundraising among small-dollar, grassroots donors who contribute online.

Trump’s online fundraising in 2023 spiked around major legal events, with his single largest online fundraising day coming in August when his mug shot was released, per fundraising reports from WinRed, the GOP’s main online fundraising platform.

A few big names circulated through a demonstration area across from the court, including Jordan Klepper of "The Daily Show," former New York gubernatorial candidate Andrew Giuliani and documentary filmmaker Alexandra Pelosi, a daughter of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.

“I never miss a freak show,” Pelosi said as she marveled at the carnival-like atmosphere.

We are now getting our first taste of the state’s evidence. 

The prosecution is previewing National Inquirer headlines from 2016 — what they call the “concrete manifestation” of the scheme to suppress bad stories about then-candidate Trump, and push negative stories about his opponents.

In response to a request by Trump’s team to identify whether a prospective juror is pro- or anti-Trump, Merchan said, “There will be no doubt how the prospective juror feels about Mr. Trump” by the time they’re done with the questioning.

Another request to go into areas not addressed by the jury questionnaire was denied.

Merchan said there will be no trial on any Wednesdays or on April 29. But if the trial starts to run long, he said he reserves the right to convene trial on Wednesday afternoons.

There will be no trial on any day that conflicts with the religious observance of any juror, as well, he said.

At most, that would mean April 22 and 23 for Passover as well as April 29 and 30, but that will not be true to accommodate the lawyers alone. He is willing to curtail trial on April 22 and April 23 by 2 p.m. to allow counsel to make it to their holiday observances by sundown, which is roughly at 7:43 pm ET.

If everything is going according to schedule, he said he will adjourn for Barron Trump’s high school graduation and that of one of the defense lawyers’ children on May 17 and June 3, respectively. But he said he's reserving judgment on that now.

Trump reposted a claim on his Truth Social website about Orthodox Jews being unable to sit on this jury because having court in session on Fridays conflicts with Shabbat, which begins Friday night at sundown.

But Merchan contradicted this claim today, saying that there would be no trial on any day that conflicts with the religious observance of any juror, including Passover, which begins next week.

Merchan also said he is willing to curtail trial on April 22 and April 23 by 2 p.m. to allow counsel to make it to their holiday observances by sundown, which is roughly at 7:43 p.m.

Merchan began the day by discussing the motion filed by Trump's team calling for the judge to recuse himself from the case. He denied that request.

Merchan, for example, says that the defense motion to recuse "does not reasonably or logically" explain how an interview he gave to a publication violates the law or the defendant's rights.

"There is no basis for recusal," Merchan said.

The judge also said Trump has made attacks on social media, which he said the court has said is in violation of the gag order.

Judge Juan Merchan has entered the courtroom and is now on the bench. Court is in session.

While Trump is in the courtroom, his Truth Social account shared posts about a poll from the 2024 GOP South Carolina primary that showed him leading Nikki Haley as well as one about Dominion Voting Systems.

Trump and his allies spread conspiracy theories about the voting machine company during the 2020 election.

It's unclear if Trump himself was posting on his account from inside the courtroom.

The judge overseeing former President Donald Trump's hush money case in New York has approved a questionnaire for jury selection and instructions for prospective jurors in the trial, which is set to begin next week.

In a letter Monday, Judge Juan Merchan provided attorneys in the case with a jury questionnaire that consists of 42 numbered questions on a range of topics. The form does not ask about party affiliation, political contributions or voting history.

Read more about the questionnaire here.

Trump, in a red tie, white shirt and dark suit, takes his seat at the table. Blanche has taken the seat closest to the aisle on one side of Trump with his partner Emil Bove, another former SDNY prosecutor, on Trump’s other side. Susan Necheles is on the left of Bove.

Trump is alternatively watching the action, as he did when Blanche just conferred with a court officer, and staring grimly into the distance. He is also now talking animatedly with Blanche as the latter slips him pages from a thick three-ring binder.

In brief remarks to cameras set up inside the courthouse, Trump said that the trial is "an assault on America" and just an attack on a "political opponent."

"Nothing like this has ever happened before," he said. "This is political persecution. ... It's a case that should have never been brought."

"This is an assault on America and that's why I'm very proud to be here," Trump added. "This is really an attack on a political opponent."

Trump will make history today 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 today with jury selection.

The charges relate to Trump’s first run for president, in 2016. Prosecutors from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office allege he took part in a scheme with his then-lawyer Michael Cohen and the publisher of the National Enquirer to suppress scandalous stories about him in the run-up to Election Day.

Bragg’s team has entered the courtroom and is starting to set up at the government’s table. Joshua Steinglass, a prosecutor who also played a lead role in the Trump Organization's criminal trial in 2022, is visible, as is Susan Hoffinger, who leads the investigations unit in Bragg’s office.

The press pool and today’s sketch artist appear to be seated in the first row directly behind them.The DA’s office has a large banker’s box on their table. Matthew Colangelo, another leading lawyer on the DA’s team and the subject of multiple Trump social media posts, also can be seen.

Colangelo, who previously served in the New York attorney general’s office, then went to Main Justice and left his job there to join Bragg’s team.

Just minutes after he arrived at the courthouse, Trump posted on his Truth Social account, "When I walk into that courtroom, I know I will have the love of 200 million Americans behind me, and I will be FIGHTING for the FREEDOM of 325 MILLION AMERICANS!"

It's unclear where he got the number 200 million. In 2020, he lost the popular vote, with the support of about 74 million Americans and in 2016, he lost the popular vote, with the support of about 62 million Americans.

The trial in the New York criminal case against Trump begins today with jury selection, the first of the four criminal cases against the former president to reach this pivotal stage.

The charges against Trump stem from an investigation by the Manhattan district attorney’s office into an alleged “catch and kill” scheme to bury negative stories about Trump before the 2016 presidential election in a bid to influence the outcome.

According to prosecutors, several people participated in the scheme, which involved paying people off to buy their silence and covering up the payments in Trump’s business records.

Here are the key people in the case who will come up during the trial, potentially as witnesses.

Trump’s motorcade arrived at the courthouse at 9:02 a.m.

Michael Cohen told MSNBC's "The Weekend" on Saturday that he was skeptical Trump would testify in the criminal trial related to a 2016 hush money payment.

"The likelihood of Donald Trump being on the stand is equal to the likelihood of me waking up tomorrow 7 foot 6 and playing center for the New York Knicks. It's not going to happen," Cohen said.

His comments follow remarks that Trump made to reporters Friday, saying that he would "absolutely" testify in this trial.

"Every time Donald opens his mouth, you know that something nontruthful is coming out of it," Cohen added.

As we approach 9 a.m., tension is already high. A man believed to be member of the public in the overflow room just tried to leave the room and was told, in stark terms, his choices were to sit or leave the building. 

Shares of Trump Media plunged more than 17% in the pre-trading hours today after the company filed to issue millions of additional shares of stock.

The company behind the Truth Social app, which trades under the stock ticker DJT on the Nasdaq, fell almost 20% last week.

Read the full story here.

As of right now, the morning pool — a pre-arranged group of six reporters plus one sketch artist — is already in the courtroom, which appears to be otherwise empty, save for court security officers. Several of us from the NBC and MSNBC teams are safely ensconced in the overflow room.

The cameras are set up to give us a view of both teams of lawyers, the judge and a podium in the corner that does not appear to be the usual lectern at which lawyers make arguments or question witnesses.

How the court rules in the case brought by Jan. 6 defendant Joseph Fischer, accused of obstructing an official proceeding, could affect the separate Trump prosecution.

Read the full story here.

Trump's motorcade has departed Trump Tower and is en route to the courthouse.

The former president is feeling defiant as his criminal trial is set to begin, a senior campaign adviser says — a mood that’s evident to anyone who’s watched his recent rallies or poked around his Truth Social account. 

Two days before the start of Trump’s New York criminal trial, the former president attacked his former attorney Michael Cohen who is expected to be a key witness in the case.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said, “Has disgraced attorney and felon Michael Cohen been prosecuted for LYING? Only TRUMP people get prosecuted by this Judge and these thugs! A dark day for our Country.”

Read the full story here.

In a series of posts on his Truth Social platform this morning, Trump repeatedly complained about the gag order that New York state Judge Juan Merchan ordered in the hush money case and argued that the legal battles he faces are attempts to interfere with his presidential campaign.

"I want my VOICE back. This Crooked Judge has GAGGED me. Unconstitutional! The other side can talk about me, but I am not allowed to talk about them! Rigged Trial!" he wrote in a post.

In a separate post, Trump wrote: "Why didn’t they bring this totally discredited lawsuit 7 years ago??? Election Interference!"

Trump also argued that the case should be tossed, claiming it falls outside of the statute of limitations, and slammed Merchan.

“As virtually every legal scholar has powerfully stated, the Biden Manhattan Witch Hunt Case is, among other things, BARRED by the Statute of Limitations,” he wrote. “This ‘trial’ should be ended by the highly conflicted presiding Judge.”

LAKE HAVASU CITY, Ariz. — NBC News spoke to four supporters of Trump and Arizona Senate Republican candidate Kari Lake about the hush money trial, and all said they thought the trial is politically motivated.

Ryan Skinner, 52, pinned the blame for the trial on Trump's political opponents when asked how he felt about the former president being tied up in court for potentially two months.

“Well, I think it’s disgusting that his political enemies are using the judicial system against him,” he said. “It speaks of Soviet-area communism, you know, if you look at history, that’s what they did with their opponents. I think it’s wrong and it’s disgusting.”

Dustin Heiser, 36, argued that the hush money trial demonstrates that Trump is being “singled out” because it’s “kind of crazy” to see a former president face charges.

NBC News Washington Managing Editor Carol Lee joins the "Meet the Press" roundtable to report that President Joe Biden will not comment on Trump’s upcoming criminal trial despite some Biden allies hoping he would “go on the offense.”

Throughout its 248-year history, America has witnessed dramatic, high-profile courtroom battles that test the laws and tear at its social fabric: from the Haymarket Square riot case and the Scopes Monkey Trial to the failed prosecution of Hall of Fame NFL running back O.J. Simpson in a grisly double murder.

But the country has never seen anything quite like the made-for-the-screen trial set to start today in New York: A former president, who is also the current Republican Party nominee for the presidency, faces a jury in a criminal trial that is poised to grip the nation and inflame political rhetoric in a country that is already sharply divided.

Read the full story here

As many as 6,000 jurors will be subpoenaed to Manhattan Criminal Courts this week, two sources with direct knowledge tell NBC News.

Not all these jurors are intended for the Trump trial but the increase in numbers can be attributed to his trial — a typical week would only have 4,000 jurors appearing.

While the trial is expected to last six to eight weeks, jury selection alone is expected to take one to two weeks. Today, prosecutors and lawyers for Trump will begin to narrow the poll of potential jurors to 12 jurors and six alternates.

Trump will become the first former president to stand trial in a criminal case — and he’ll do so against the backdrop of a presidential campaign in which he’s the presumptive Republican nominee.

Jury selection begins today in New York City, and the trial is expected to last six to eight weeks.

Here’s a look at what you need to know and what’s expected to happen.

Outside the courthouse earlier this morning, it was still quiet as the sky began to lighten. The only activity was correspondents doing live hits right across the street from the courthouse and a mix of paid line-sitters and reporters queuing up. The police presence is noticeable — police SUVs rolling around the neighborhood, officers on the street — but not yet overwhelming.