The criminal trial of former American president Donald Trump began with Matthew Colangelo making his opening statement, stating that voter fraud was the crux of the case. The New York prosecutor accused Trump of staging a criminal plot to suppress extramarital sex affairs and cover them up with the help of his former private lawyer, Michael Cohen, and former tabloid owner, David Pecker.
The trial centered on the payment of $130,000 to Porno-Star Stormy Daniels to silence her about a sex affair dating back to 2006. The prosecution argued that these payments were part of a campaign finance violation and constituted fraud. Colangelo stated that the motive behind the payments was to prevent voters from finding out about the affair before the election, which could have had a devastating effect on Trump’s presidential ambitions.
David Pecker, a key witness for the prosecution, briefly appeared in court but did not provide many details. Trump’s defense team, led by Todd Blanche, argued that the president was innocent and had nothing to do with hush money payments. Blanche claimed that trying to influence an election is a common practice in democracy and emphasized that it is not illegal.
The trial was interrupted after just three hours due to a juror needing medical attention. It will resume on Tuesday when the judge will determine whether Trump violated a gag order. Trump’s lawyers must decide whether to allow him to testify; it is expected that he will not take the stand. Despite these challenges, Trump remained composed and focused during the trial, signaling his willingness to confront the accusations against him.
The trial highlighted Trump’s isolation as none of his family members were present to support him
