The prosecution and defense delivered opening statements in Donald Trump’s hush money trial Monday morning.
The trial could last six weeks or more as the jury hears evidence alleging that the former president falsified business records to conceal how he had bought a porn star’s silence before the 2016 election.
But on Monday we had the first real vision of the strategies deployed by both parties.
And the court heard from its first witness, David Pecker, former editor of the National Enquirer.
Here’s what we learned from day one of testing the case:
Former President Donald Trump heard opening arguments in Courtroom 1530 of Manhattan Criminal Court on Monday morning. The trial could last six weeks or even longer.
Twelve jurors were seated in Trump’s hush money trial late last week.
Jurors are still anxious
They are in the most important court case of the year with a defendant who can count on a fervent army of supporters. It’s no surprise that jurors continue to express concerns.
The day began with Judge Juan Merchán reporting that Juror Nine had called the court last week expressing concerns about the level of media attention, “and is not 100 percent sure he wants to be here today.”
He took the defense and prosecution into his locker room to meet with the jury, who then decided they could continue.
But don’t be surprised if this problem arises again. One dropped out last week after being sworn in and sworn in.
Prosecutor Matthew Colangelo presents his opening arguments as Trump looks on with his attorney Todd Blanche before Judge Juan Merchan on Monday morning.
Prosecutors went straight to 2016
At first glance, the case involves hush payments to a porn star and manipulated business documents.
But the Manhattan district attorney’s office immediately said it was about keeping voters in the dark just before they went to the polls in November 2016.
“This case is about criminal conspiracy and fraud,” Matthew Colangelo said.
‘The defendant, Donald Trump, orchestrated a criminal scheme to corrupt the 2016 presidential election. He then covered up that conspiracy by lying in his New York business records, over and over and over again.
Former Trump fixer Michael Cohen
Trump can’t hit back
As he listened to the summary of the case against him, Trump remained virtually motionless in his chair.
While the jury’s eyes were fixed on Colangelo, the former president avoided them by looking ahead. His shoulders slumped slightly.
He had to listen to the transcript of the infamous ‘Access Hollywood’ tape, in which he was caught on a hot microphone talking about women and saying he could, ‘Grab them by the f***, you can do anything.’ ‘
For a man accustomed to dominating any room he enters, all he could do was shake his head when the prosecutor urged the jury to consider the evidence and find him guilty.
The defense ‘spoiler alert’
The defense followed several lines on Monday. He attempted to discredit key witnesses and laid the groundwork for the idea that any payment of hush money had nothing to do with the election.
But lead attorney Todd Blanche also presented a “so what” defense.
“I have a spoiler alert,” he told the court.
‘There is nothing wrong with trying to influence an election. It’s called democracy.’
David Pecker, former editor of the National Enquirer, briefly took the stand Monday. He will return Tuesday when he will be questioned about communications with Trump and others.
Prepare for communications from David Pecker
Pecker took the stand just 20 minutes before court adjourned Monday.
As then-owner of the National Enquirer, the defense places him at the center of efforts to buy damaging stories about Trump that were never published in a so-called “catch and kill” scheme.
On Monday, he answered a series of questions that identified his four phone lines and two work email addresses (one for general messages, operated by his assistants, and another for more confidential information).
You can be sure that your communications with Trump and his aides will become apparent in no time, and it will be vital to have identified which numbers and emails belong to him.