Donald Trump trial LIVE: Ex-president's actions sparks speculation he fell ASLEEP during the morning session

Hundreds of Manhattan residents piled into court on Monday as prospective jurors for Donald Trump's hush-money trial.

Twelve will be picked to sit on the panel to decide the case that will last six weeks, including six alternates.

The process could last up to two weeks, and the end of the first day shows the court has an uphill task to find their candidates.

• 96 jurors were brought in for questioning and sworn in just after 2.30pm.
• At least 50 were immediately excused, after admitting they couldn't be fair or impartial.
• At least nione more were then told they could go home when asked if they couldn't serve for any other reason.
• Judge Juan Merchan then called 18 New Yorkers into the jury box to be questioned.
• One was dismissed beause she had firm beliefs against Trump.
• Another man was excused because he didn't want to risk missing his daughter's wedding in June.
• Nine jurors remain in the box and need to be questioned on Tuesday.
• If the court hasn't filled the 12 slots, another batch of potential jurors will be brought in.

Of the more than 50 prospective jurors who raised their hands when asked whether they felt they couldn’t be fair or impartial:

• More than two dozen were white women.
• 14 were white men.
• One was a Hispanic woman
• Four were women of Asian descent
• One man was of Asian descent
• Six were 'unknown'. 

Judge Juan Merchan is not letting Donald Trump attend oral arguments at the Supreme Court in his bid for presidential immunity.

'Your client is a criminal defendant in New York. He is required to be here,' he responded to Trump's legal team.

'He is not required to be in the Supreme Court. I will see him here next week.'

Earlier Monday, Merchan told Trump that if he skips any of his trial he could be jailed.

That's standard procedure for a defendant in a criminal trial.

The nine Supreme Court justices will hear oral arguments next Thursday at 10 a.m. ET about why Trump should not be prosecuted for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

The former president's lawyers argue that he enjoys sweeping legal protections unless impeached by Congress and removed from office.

During a discussion about scheduling, Judge Merchan told the court that ‘we’re already way behind schedule’.

He said if this continues: ‘I may have no choice but to start proceedings on Wednesday afternoons’.

The court had planned not to sit on Wednesdays.

Judge Merchan refused Trump permission to be at the Supreme Court next week for arguments about Presidential immunity.

The judge told Trump’s lawyers: ‘He’s required to be here. He's not required to be at the Supreme Court. I will see you here next week'.

A furious Donald Trump slammed the judge in the hush money case for warning that he mayb have to skip son Barron's high school graduation to be in court.

The former president, 77, turned to reporters as he left the courtroom at the end of a dramatic first day and said he may not be able to 'escape this scam'.

'Amazing things happened today, Trump said.

'As you know, my son is graduating from high school and it looks like the judge will not let me go to the graduation.

'My son has worked very, very hard. And he's a great student.

'I was looking forward to that graduation with his mother and father there and it looks like the judge does not allow me to escape this scam.'

Judge Merchan tells prospective jurors that we must adjourn for the day.

They will return at 9.30 AM on Tuesday and restart the ardrous process of being om the panel for the first trial of a former president.

He gave them instructions before letting them go for the evening.

Legal experts have said it could be almost impossible for all members of the jury to be impartial.

The process of selecting 12 members of the jury could take as long as two weeks.

The Trump team will be able to dismiss 10 prospective members if they get through the questionaire and the screening process.

A handful of GOP hopefuls who want to land the No. 2 spot on the top of Trump's 2024 ticket are expressing support for him on the first day of the hush money trial.

Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., took to X to post his anger at the 'radical left' in a show of solidarity with Trump.

'What the radical Left is doing is not just election interference, it’s election engineering. They will try everything (and fail) to stop Donald J Trump, he wrote on X.

GOP Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., who is also rumored to be vying for the VP slot, similarly slammed the case against her ally.

'Corrupt Judge Merchan, a Biden donor whose family member has profited off this case & who illegally gagged President Trump just said 'If you do not show up, there will be an arrest.''

She was referring to the standard language a judge issues during a criminal case - warning a defendant that if they do not show up to court, they could be arrested.

'A 6-8 week show trial... Total election interference. RT if you agree!' Stefanik continued.

Judge Merchan preemptively excused a man from the jury panel rather than forcing him to possibly miss his child’s wedding on the West Coast in June.

The middle-aged man raised the issue as he was about to answer the jury questionnaire.

'I think we should be done by then but I can’t promise,' Merchan told the man. 'Only you can decide if you want to roll the dice. But if you’re with us, you’re with us ’til the end.'

As the man contemplated the potential conflict, Merchan offered to let him go.

'I think, to be on the safe side, we should excuse,' Merchan said.

'Congratulations,' the judge added, wishing him well on his child’s impending nuptials as he exited the jury box.

By the first break, three prospective jurors remained in the jury box after reading out their responses to the questionnaire.

They included a woman who lives in Midtown East, has an MBA and works in business development for a company called Novocare.

She had no children, and a spouse who works in venture capital.

Her hobbies, she said, include going to restaurants in New York City. She gets her news from the New York Times, CNN, Google, the Wall Street Journal.

The second remaining juror was a middle-aged man wearing thick-rimmed glasses who lives in Midtown  and works as a creative director at Land's End, where he has worked for the past 30 years after previously working at Kenneth Cole.

He has a BFA and is married, but has no children. His spouse works in marketing. In his spare time, he enjoys hiking, cooking and playing with his dog.

He had previously served on a criminal jury, which reached a verdict. He gets his news from the New York Times, USA Today, CNN, and the Wall Street Journal.

The third remaining juror is a woman who has lived on the Upper West Side for the past five years and is from Pennsylvania originally.

She works for a New York City agency - the Economic Development Corporation - doing marketing and communications.

Her spouse is an administrator, and they have no children. In her spare time, she cooks, goes to parks and shows in the city.

She gets her news from the New York Times, CNN and Google, and does not listen to podcasts.

A prospective juror in her 30s said 'I just couldn't do it' after she was excused from the trial and walked out into the hallway.

The third prospective juror also got a laugh from the court room when she said she likes to 'go to the club'.

She was then excused when she answered yes to question 34 of the questionaire.

'Do you have any strong opinions or firmly held beliefs about former President Donald Trump, or the fact that he is a current candidate for president that would interfere with your ability to be a fair and impartial juror?'

More than 50 of the first 96 potential jurors in the Donald Trump trial were excused on Monday afternoon after admitting they couldn't be impartial in the first criminal trial of a former president in history.

The first batch of Manhattan residents were brought into the court and sworn in to see if they qualified for the panel that will decide the fate of the presumptive Republican nominee for president.

As they walked in they strained to catch a glimpse of the high-profile defendant and one woman appeared to giggle.

Those chosen will ultimately vote on if the 77-year-old is guilty or not guilty of 34 charges of falsifying business records to hide a $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels to stop her discussing their alleged affair before the 2016 election.

Each count he has strenuously denied carries a maximum sentence of four years in prison, but if found guilty he could face a fine or probation as a first-time offender.

The judge read out the names of around 40 people who could either be potential witnesses, or be mentioned during proceedings.

They included the star witness, his former fixer Michel Cohen, and the porn star Stormy Daniels.

Members of Trump's family were also included along with and key figures in his 2016 campaign like Hope Hicks, Steve Bannon, Rudy Giuliani, Kellyanne Conway and Dan Scavino.

The judge made clear that they would not all be called as witnesses and that their names may simply be raised by lawyers.

Donald Trump stood and gave a group of 96 potential jurors a smirk as the selection process finally began in the hush money trial.

The first batch of Manhattan residents were brought into the court and sworn in to see if they qualified for the first panel in history that will decide the fate of a former president in a criminal trial.

As they walked in they strained to catch a glimpse of the high-profile defendant and one woman appeared to giggle.

Those chosen will ultimately decide if the 77-year-old is guilty or not guilty of falsifying business records to hide a $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels over their alleged affair.

More than 500 potential jurors are in the court waiting to see if they are needed for the trial that could last up to six weeks.

They will have to answer 42 questions - including what news networks they watch and whether they have supported QAnon - if they want to qualify.

Several of the potential jurors seated appeared to frequently stare at Trump while the judge introduced the case and read out a list of witnesses that could testify, including Melania Trump.

From Emily Goodin, Senior Political Reporter at the White House for DailyMail.com.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre shrugged off a question as to whether President Joe Biden is watching Donald Trump’s trial in New York.

‘The president is pretty busy today,’ she said at her daily press briefing.

Earlier Monday Biden had an Oval Office meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shyaa Al-Sudani. And later in the afternoon he has a meeting with Prime Minister of the Czech Republic Petr Fiala.

Biden also has been dealing with the fallout of Iran’s attack on Israel. He and his team have been urging Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to retaliate.

Jean-Pierre’s response is reflective of the White House strategy on Trump: ignore the former president while showcasing Biden acting as commander in chief.

‘The President’s going to focus on the week ahead,’ she noted. ‘It’s always about the American people.’

The first group of 96 potential jurors are making their way into the courtroom for the first part of the selection process.

Each member will be asked 42 questions before they can be selected on the panel that will decide Trump's fate.

The main issue is whether they can be impartial, and both sides will be looking to see if candidates are being deceptive.

Read DailyMail.com's breakdown on how the ardous process to pick the jury could last up to two weeks.

From Rob Crilly, Senior Political Reporter inside the court for DailyMail.com

Judge Juan Merchan shows flashes of irritation as he chasitzes the defense team for not having designated the exhibits they want to raise in court.

Prosecutors point out that the defense team has had plenty of time to clog their inboxes with what they call 'frivolous' motions, and so should be ready with their exhibits now.

Trump's lawyer Todd Blanche says they have been swamped with work and just need more time.

Prosector Josh Steinglass says it is a 'tactical' ploy.

Merchan tends to agree. 'Here's where we stand, you have 24 hours.'

Blanche says they need more time.

Merchan says a February order demanded that they get it done and they are already in violation of that order. 'You were directed to it,' he says. 'You were directed to do it immediately.'

The spat shows the way the Trump team has sought to slow things down at every step of the way.

And when the judge lays down the law, it is another piece of evidence they can use in the court of public opinion to say they aren't being treated fairly.

Judge Juan Merchan changed his mind about having private jury conferences in a side room because he was worried it would be ‘overly intimidating’.

Instead all the other jurors would be excused from the court, and any candidates with an issue would speak from the podium.

Judge Merchan said that was ‘not a whole lot of privacy’ and that ‘may discourage some people from being entirely open’.

Blanche tried to argue that Trump only needed one Secret Service agent in the side room with five other people.

Prosecutors needed five people in the room, which was already at its capacity of 12 not including the judge.

Judge Merchan’s ruling means that Trump will still be present for individual questioning of jurors but not in such close quarters.

Judge Juan Merchan said he will hold a hearing on April 24 over whether he should be held in contempt for social media posts prosecutors say violated the gag order.

The Manhattan District Attorney claimed the former president had violated the gag order against him and demanded a $3,000 fine for three social media posts.

One of them attacked Michael Cohen and another called Merchan a ‘corrupt New York Judge'.

Trump's lawyers have until April 19 to file their response to the claims.

The New York Times is reporting that Trump may have dozed off during proceedings.

Trump 'appeared to nod off a few times, his mouth going slack and his head drooping onto his chest,' the newspaper reported.

His lawyer Todd Blanche passed notes to him for 'several minutes' before Trump 'appeared to jolt awake and notice them,' the New York Times reported.

New York Times journalist Maggie Haberman told CNN: 'He appeared to be asleep, Repeatedly his head would fall down.

“He didn’t pay attention to a note that his lawyer Todd Blanche passed him. His jaw kept falling on his chest and his mouth kept going slack. Sometimes people do fall asleep during court proceedings but it’s notable given the intensity of this morning and a lot of what was going on.'

Donald Trump has just been reminded of the behavior expected of him throughout the trial and the sanctions available to the court if he misbehaves.

Trump had already been told about the 'Parker warnings' that apply to all defendants.

'Today we are going to pick a jury so today these Parker warnings take on added significance,' said Merchan.

He is told that if he is disruptive he could be excluded from the courtroom and jailed while the proceedings continue without him.

And if he fails to appear an issue will be issued for his arrest and that he could be sentenced in absentia.

At different points, the judge asked Trump if he understood. The former president was not on mic, but appeared to nod and say yes each time.

From Rob Crilly, Senior Political Reporter inside court for DailyMail.com

The Trump campaign arrived in New York Supreme Criminal Court on Monday morning.

Donald Trump delivered remarks in the court hallway, while one his most loyal hucksters worked the crowd outside and c-list talking heads took their seats in an overflow room to watch proceedings.

This was what day one in the first of Trump's criminal trials looked like.

The history books will record that the first ever trial of a former commander-in-chief, a momentous day for the nation and the world, opened with discussion of whether the evidence could include unproven allegations of sexual assault against him (no, said Judge Juan Merchan) or headlines that 2016 rival Ted Cruz's father was somehow involved in the assassination of JFK (yes, ruled the judge).

Through it all, in courtroom 1530 in downtown New York, the defendant made his displeasure clear.

The judge in Donald Trump's hush-money case warned he could be jailed if interfered with proceedings and had to interfere in a heated exchange between the prosecutors and defense teams.

Prosecutors also claimed the former president had violated the gag order against him and demanded a $3,000 fine for three social media posts.

One of them attacked Michael Cohen and another called Merchan a ‘corrupt New York Judge'.

The 77-year-old's lead defense attorney Todd Blanche got a word of caution from Judge Juan Merchan when he said his high-profile client wanted to be involved in every aspect of the trial.

Trump plans to join jurors in person during conferences when they have issues, the court heard.

In an unusual move, Blanche said that whenever a juror had a problem during the selection process and needed to talk about it in private, Trump wanted to be there himself.

Judge Merchan said that these conferences would happen in a side room with Trump and his Secret Service detail present.

The ruling raises the bizarre prospect that jurors with delicate matters to discuss will have to do it with a former President staring at them from a few feet away.

Jurors often ask for these conferences to talk about personal matters which affect their ability to serve that they do not want the wider public to hear.

Judge Merchan read Trump the so-called Parker warnings about his conduct in court.

He said that Trump could lose his right to attend court if ‘you disrupt the proceedings in any way’.

If he did so he could be excluded or jailed, the judge said.

Failure to attend in court could mean a warrant would be issued for Trump’s arrest, Judge Merchan said.

Trump nodded that he understood.

Donald Trump has left the courtroom with his Secret Service detail.

He didn't turn back towards the press when asked if he's worried about the election.

He gave a thumbs up when asked again how it's going.

Donald Trump will be off the 2024 trail a significant amount of time while he stands criminal trial related to hush money payments, but his campaign is moving full speed ahead.

Trump's campaign said it will take full advantage of trial off days on Wednesday and weekends. The president has his own plane making one-day travel for campaign stops possible.

The ex-president according to the campaign will continue to deliver his message with in-person and virtual events when he's not in the courtroom.

His campaign claims the court appearances and indictments have proven to backfire for Democrats and Biden and expect this case to be no different.

When Trump is in court, his team believes all the attention will be on him and his message.

His campaign senior adviser Jason Miller tweeted on Monday simply 'Wall to wall' with an image showing all the networks airing Trump's court entrance ahead of jury selection beginning.

Judge Juan Merchan got impatient on Monday morning and told prosecutors and Trump's defense attorneys to move on.

He reminded both sides that there were 500 potential jurors waiting for the process to begin while they were filing continuous motions.

He shortened the required timeframe related to the submission of pre-motion letters at the request of defense lawyers. 

Merchan asked that the parties reply to pre-motion letters by the end of the business day when it was received. 

He then clarified that the protocol was imposed after lawyers “inundated” the court with motions that were 'close to frivolous if not frivolous.' 

'I have noticed the font is getting increasingly smaller, the margins larger,' Merchan quipped.

Donald Trump aide Margo Martin was one of his supporters in court on Monday.

She arrived with the former president in his motorcade as they prepared for jury selection in the hush money case.

Martin has stayed by Trump's side during the campaign and is a fixture at his fundraisers at Mar-a-Lago

The court is now in a quick break following an explosive first morning in Donald Trump's hush money trial.

Read below for everything that happened, including Judge Juan Merchan's rulings on Playboy model Karen McDougal and the Access Hollywood tape.

In another blow to Trump, Judge Merchan allowed in the transcript of his infamous Access Hollywood tape where he joked about grabbing women.

The video from 2005 where Trump says 'grab them by the p****' will not be played, but jurors will be read what he said.

Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass said that it was ‘incendiary’ and that it was an ‘admission, or at the very least a description of sexual assault’.

Steinglass said that the ‘reparations for the upcoming Presidential debate were ‘interrupted by the need to do damage control’.

He said that this ‘is more than just comments of a sexual nature’ .

But Merchan denied a request to introduce reports that were published after the Access Hollywood tape came out about three other women accusing Trump.

Merchan said they were ‘very, very prejudicial’ and ‘just gossip’.

But jurors will be able to see videos of Trump denying the claims, the judge ruled.

Rob Crilly, DailyMail.com Senior Political Reporter reports from inside the courtroom:

If you lived your life and rose to fame through tabloid headlines and stories about your sex life, it is inevitable that some of that might come back to haunt you.

The two sides have just clashed over introducing evidence about Karen McDougal, a former Playboy model who claimed to have an affair with Trump. Prosecutor Josh Steinglass asked to introduce evidence about her, including details of how Trump believed her story was damaging to his campaign and was involved in securing the rights to her story in order to kill it.

But Todd Blanche pushed back, saying it included 'unproven allegations.' 'It's literally just salacious with no value.'

Judge Merchan says his previous ruling stands, allowing McDougal to testify, but he won't permit evidence that Trump's wide was pregnant with his child at the time.

Former President Donald Trump sits in the Manhattan courtroom with a stern look on his face.

He has his hands clapsed together on the wooden desk wearing his singature blue suit with a stark red tie.

As jury selection begins in Donald Trump's criminal trial related to the hush money payments, the ex-president's most fervent supporters have already made up their minds in the case before a single piece of evidence is presented.

Trump is the first former president in U.S. history to ever stand criminal trial.

He is charged with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to cover up the $130,000 payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels.

Trump has called the trial 'assault on America' and 'political persecution,' and his supporters closely echo what he says.

'That's a witch hunt, total witch hunt,' said Stacey Hawthorne, 57, who waited in line for hours to see Trump speak Saturday at a rally in Schnecksville, PA, his final political event before the trial began.

Trump supporters were more focused on the hush money payment itself rather than falsifying business records, and it didn't bother them.

'I'm sure there's not one politician alive that hasn't paid hush money to somebody to shut their mouth for something that they didn't want,' said Matthew Onuschak, 44.

'Whether or not Donald Trump paid hush money to somebody doesn't bother me. I like his policies,' he added.

The ex-president's fans said they're not concerned with their candidate being criminally convicted or facing prison time.

'I think it's just a roadblock and they're frivolous cases and I just think it charges up his base more, said Michael Mann, 61. 'I don't feel he's going to be convicted.'

Manhattan prosecutors will be allowed to enter evidence suggestion the Trump campaign coordinated with the Trump campaign before the 2016 election.

Judge Juan Merchan said the jury could see claims that the publication promoted positive stories about the Republican nominee and negative stories about his opponents, including Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz.

Trump's attorney Todd Blanche briefily fired back, saying: 'This evidence would do nothing but confuse the jury about the actual crime charged for several reasons.'

He said the evidence would be a 'side show'

Rob Crilly, DailyMail.com Senior Political Reporter reports from inside the courtroom:

Trump watchers will tell you that he assumes different personas for different occasions.

He is in court mode this morning, listening intently with his head slightly tilted, eyes narrow and his lips tightly pursed. He is a study in concentration letting his lawyers do the talking.

Only once has he appeared to let his feelings show through as the court considers complex legal arguments.

When Judge Merchan said there was no reason his daughter's business dealings represented a conflict of interest and that he would not be recusing himself, Trump gave a furious little nod and glanced sideways at Emil Bove, his lawyer to the left.

Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg has made over $800,000 since indicting Donald Trump last spring.

According to state campaign finance data, Bragg has scored $845,253 between March 30, 2023 and January 12, 2024.

Last year, Trump became the first-ever U.S. president to be indicted after a grand jury returned a 34-count grand jury charge.

Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges and has slammed Bragg as a corrupt attorney on a 'witch hunt' to take him down.

Judge Merchan said that he was not able to rule at this stage if Trump could have a day off on May 17th to attend his son Barron’s high school graduation.

The judge said:

If everything is going according to schedule then I’m sure we’ll be able to adjourn for one or both of those days. But if we’re running behind schedule we will not be able to. It really depends on if we are on time and where we are in the trial.

Rapid progress and no unforeseen delays, he explained, would mean he might be able to adjourn hearings for the day.

As the judge spoke Trump folded his arms and looked unimpressed.

In a dramatic start to the first day of the Manhattan trial, Judge Juan Merchan refused to recuse himself from the case.

He rejected a bid by Donald Trump's team to have him booted from the trial.

Merchan claimed Trump was using a 'series of inferences, innuendos and unsupported speculation' to argue for his recusal.

Merchan also rejected suggestions that posts on X by his daughter should cause him to recuse because it wasn’t her account, and they made no difference to his ability to oversee the proceedings.

Judge Juan Merchan has come into court.

The case has been called and the lawyers for both sides introduced themselves.

Judge Merchan said good morning to Trump who turned his head to acknowledge it.

A defiant Donald Trump made history as the first former president to stand in a criminal trial as he arrived in court on Monday for jury selection in the Manhattan hush-money case.

The former president, 77, is facing 34 felony charges of falsifying business records to cover up a $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels over an alleged affair.

Each count he has strenuously denied carries a maximum sentence of four years in prison, but if found guilty he could face a fine or probation as a first-time offender.

Trump walked into court wearing a dark blue suit and a red tie after telling reporters the case was 'outrageous' and an 'assault on America.'

'This is a persecution like never before. It is an assault on America and that’s why I'm very proud to be here,' he said.

He then sat at his desk with his lawyer with his hands together on the desk.

Trump entered behind his lead attorney Todd Blanche, paused for a split second, licked his lips, then began walking up the courtroom's center aisle.

The presumptive Republican nominee for president looked defiant as he left Trump Tower on Monday morning and waved to waiting fans and photographers as he got into his motorcade.

Before he departed he went on a rant on his social media platform, Truth Social, about the 'rigged' case and the 'corrupt' charge.

Trump delivered a short speech outside court before the start of the trial and called it an 'assault on America'.

This is an assault on America. Nothing like this has ever happened before – there’s never been anything like it.

Every legal scholar says this is nonsense, it should never have been brought. It doesn’t deserve anything like this. There is no case – and they’ve said it. People that don’t necessarily follow or like Donald Trump said this is an outrage that this case was brought. This is political persecution, this is a persecution like never before.

And again, it’s a case that should have never been brought. It’s an assault on America and that’s why I’m very proud to be here. This is an assault on our country – and it’s a country that’s failing. It’s a country that’s run by an incompetent man that’s very much involved in this case. This is really an attack on a political opponent. That’s all it is, so I’m very honored to be here.

Trump walked into court wearing a dark blue suit and a red tie.

His lawyer Todd Blanche entered the courtroom just before him.

As he got into the room Triump paused for a split second, licked his lips, then began walking up the center aisle.

He passed nine rows of wooden benches on either side, which were all empty.

Potential jurors will sit on the benches.

Trump's shoulders were hunched but his chin was up and his expression was stern.

It took him about 10 seconds to walk up the aisle toward the front of the largely empty courtroom.

He was followed into court by his legal team.

Trump sat at his desk with his lawyer with his hands together on the desk.

He then talked to his lawyers with his main attorney, Blanche, on his right. To his left were Emil Bove and Susan Necheles.

Donald Trump walked into the courtroom shortly after 9.30am.

Around the time he arrived at the court building Trump posted on his Truth Social site.

He declared: '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!'

He told reporters that 'this is a persecution like never before. It is an assault on America and that’s why I'm very proud to be here.'

Donald Trump has arrived Monday at the New York courthouse where he is set to become the first ex-president in US history to stand criminal trial.

It marked a seismic moment in the already explosive 2024 presidential campaign.

Trump arrived after being driven by motorcade to the gritty Manhattan courthouse from his Trump Tower apartment building shortly before the start of jury selection.

Donald Trump left his Trump Tower home on Monday to prepare for the start of jury selection in his historic first criminal trial.

The former president will appear in court to face chagres he hid a $130,000 hush money payment to Stormy Daniels over an alleged affair in 2006.

Before leaving Trump Tower to make the four-mile drive downtown, Trump went on a social media rant where he accused Democrats of using the hush money case as a political weapon to keep him sitting in a courtroom and spending money instead of being out on the campaign trail.

Just hours ahead of the trial kicking-off on Monday, he took to Truth Social to rail about all aspects of the case and lamented he was stripped of his voice after he was put under a gag order.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg arrived at court on Monday morning, before Donald Trump and ahead of jury selection.

The former president has constantly criticized Bragg, who he says is one of the driving forces behind the politcally-motivated charges.

The Democratic DA, who came into office two years ago and has been involved in cases against the Trump Organization, will likely be in the courtroom for most of the trial.

But it will be the prosecutors in his team who will be asking the questions during testimony and leading the cross-examination.

The spectacle of Donald Trump's first criminal trial has arrived.

The former president will appear in court in Manhattan on Monday, despite multiple efforts from his legal team to delay the start of the Stormy Daniels hush money case, where he is accused of trying to hide a $130,000 payment to cover up an affair he denies ever having.

His legal team have been in and out of court for months trying to get the charges tossed and claiming it should be in a different venue, because he can't get a fair trial in Manhattan.

The presumptive Republican nominee's attorneys will now go to battle with prosecutors from the Manhattan District Attorney's Office.

He has picked a veteran white-collar lawyer, a criminal defense attorney and those who have worked on Trump Organization cases to fight his corner as he stares down 34 charges of falsifying business records.

Here are the key members of both the prosecution and defense teams as jury selection begins on Monday.

A heavy police presence was stationed around the Manhattan court on Monday morning awaiting Donald Trump's arrival.

The Secret Service and NYPD have been meeting for weeks to finalize logistics as the former president's legal circus returns to New York.

Protesters were already waiting outside and members of the media were lining up ready to enter the courthouse for jury selection.

When jury selection is completed, testimony in the Donald Trump hush money case will begin.

Those who could take the stand include Trump's former aides, his disgraced ex-fixer Michael Cohen and the porn star at the heart of the case, Stormy Daniels.

While prosecutors have not released an official list of potential witnesses to take the stand, here are some of the people in Trump's former orbit expected to testify in the trial

Donald Trump ranted about the 'rigged trial' and 'crooked judge' hours before he was due to arrive in the Manhattan court for jury selection.

The former president took to his social media platform to say the Democrats and the 'radical left' for 'cheating' in the 2024 election by keeping him in court.

He also demanded an end to the trial and insisted the statute of limitations had passed in the case.

'I want my VOICE back. This Crooked Judge has GAGGED me,' he wrote.

'Unconstitutional! The other side can talk about me, but I am not allowed to talk about them! Rigged Trial!

'The Radical Left Democrats are already cheating on the 2024 Presidential Election by bringing, or helping to bring, all of these bogus lawsuits against me, thereby forcing me to sit in courthouses, and spend money that could be used for campaigning, instead of being out in the field knocking Crooked Joe Biden, the WORST President in the History of the United States. Election Interference!'

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

Prospective jurors in Donald Trump's criminal hush money trial will be asked over 42 questions ranging from their views on extremist groups Antifa and Q'Anon, to where they get their news, to whether they've ever attended political rallies for the former president.

The 77-year-old has pleaded not guilty to falsifying business records to help cover up an alleged affair with porn star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election.

Jury selection begins a week from Monday on April 15, and is bound to kick off at least several days of intensive questioning for the individuals who will determine Trump's fate in the case.

Both sides of the case are under a ton of pressure to select a jury that will be perceived as fair - or else risk a mistrial down the line.

Judge Juan Merchan publicized a list of 42 questions he plans to quiz prospective jurors about to ensure an unbiased trial, including any connections they may have to the former president's political circles.

Of the 1.4 million adults who live in Manhattan, it will be almost impossible to find one who doesn't already have an opinion of Donald Trump.

But twelve of them will be chosen to ultimately decide his fate as the first former president to stand in a criminal trial that begins on Monday.

They will be picked from hundreds of eligible New York residents to sit for the historic case where Trump is accused of hiding a $130,000 hush-money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels to keep her quiet about their alleged affair in 2006.

If found guilty by the group of his peers, he could be sentenced to up to four years in prison over a saga that started 18 years ago, and has seen wall-to-wall press coverage not just in the Big Apple but around the world.

Will it be impossible to find a dozen people who don't already have prejudicial view  of the presumptive Republican nominee for president? Experts who specialize in jury selection tell DailyMail.com it could be.

What started as a chance encounter at a charity golf tournament 18 years ago has turned into one of the biggest legal dramas in history.

On Monday, Donald Trump will become the first former president to face a criminal trial over a $130,000 hush-money payment he made to porn star Stormy Daniels over their alleged affair.

The trial - set to last between six and eight weeks - will be full of bombshell testimony and drama that are the results of years of scandal.

Witnesses will testify about lurid allegations of hotel suite encounters, blockbuster TV interviews and backroom deals involving the presumptive Republican nominee for president.

The case revolves around the payment made to Daniels by Trump's then-fixer Michel Cohen ahead of the 2016 presidential election to keep her quiet about an alleged sexual encounter with Trump in 2006.

She claims it occurred less than four months after Melania Trump gave birth to the couple's son , Barron.

Since then there have been legal twists and turns at every corner, while Trump has spent four years in the White House and is now in the middle of bid for another term.

Welcome to DailyMail.com's live coverage of Donald Trump's historic Manhattan trial, the first of four criminal cases he faces.

The forrmer president will be in the court to watch as 12 New York residents are chosen to be on the jury.

The 77-year-old has been charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records to hide a $130,000 payment he made to porn star Stormy Daniels to cover up their alleged affair.

He has denied all the charges and strenuously rejects her claims they had a sexual encounter at a golf course in 2006.