Trump’s historic hush-money trial begins

• Trump’s criminal trial begins.
• Jury selection is the first step.
• The judge issues a gag order.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump’s criminal trial begins in New York.

The Republican candidate’s history-making trial starts with jury selection.

This marks a milestone as the first criminal trial of this nature in the country’s history.

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What is Trump’s criminal trial about?

At the heart of the case are controversial hush-money payments amounting to $130,000 for made to porn actress Stormy Daniels.

According to EFE, the purpose of the payments was to buy her silence during the 2016 election campaign.

This was to prevent the disclosure of an alleged extramarital affair between Trump and Daniels in 2006, before his foray into politics.

The challenge for the 12 jurors will be to demonstrate their impartiality in the face of Trump’s polarizing presence.

Is Trump in trouble?

The jury must ensure that they can be impartial when it comes to reaching a verdict.

The jury selection could extend up to two weeks, during which potential jurors will be thoroughly examined to determine their suitability for the case.

According to The New York Times, the prosecution is likely to prefer jurors with a college education.

This is because polls show that people who haven’t graduated from college tend to skew more Republican.

What Trump’s lawyers are looking for

On the other hand, the defense will likely to look for more blue collar jurors, particularly those in public service like police officers and sanitation workers.

They will also look for people who have had negative experiences with the judicial system.

The political atmosphere in New York intensifies as the trial gets underway.

Trump, aware of the hostile terrain he faces in the predominantly Democratic city, has focused his remarks on public safety issues, according to EFE.

The judge issues a gag order

The former president has linked gun violence with immigrants and «open borders.»

Colombian-born Judge Juan Merchan, who is overseeing the case, has issued a gag order prohibiting Trump from making public comments about anyone involved in the trial.

The former president has been making incendiary statements about lawyers and their families on social media.

The gag order was extended to include Judge Merchan, his relatives and prosecutor Alvin Bragg, after Trump publicly attacked the judge’s daughter on Truth Social.

Trump claims the trial is a witch hunt

Merchan and other judges who have ruled against Trump in the past have been targets of his criticism, as he claims to be the victim of a radical leftist conspiracy.

Trump portrays himself as the target of a «witch hunt» by the judicial system.

Trump’s criminal tiral is not only a legally significant event but has also taken on significant political character, reflecting the division and polarization that characterize American society today.

The world will be watching the developments in the courtroom, as the verdict could have profound implications for the country’s political and judicial future.