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The first criminal trial of Donald Trump is officially underway.
Prosecutors and Trump’s attorneys delivered opening statements and the first witness – a former National Enquirer publisher – was called Monday in the historic and unprecedented criminal trial of a former president.
Each side got their first chance to lay out a theory of the case for jurors. Prosecutors told jurors that the reimbursement of hush money payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels was part of a larger conspiracy to influence the 2016 presidential election by hiding damaging information about Trump.
The former president’s attorneys responded by telling the jury that Trump was innocent and not involved in the creation of the 34 business records he’s charged with falsifying. They also pointedly added that there’s “nothing wrong with trying to influence an election.”
Trump continued to rail against the case as he entered and left the courtroom. On Tuesday, before the trial resumes, Judge Juan Merchan is holding a hearing on the district attorney’s motion to sanction Trump for violating the judge’s gag order barring discussion of witnesses.
Here are the key takeaways from Monday:Prosecutors: Trump schemed ‘to corrupt the 2016 presidential election’
The district attorney’s office framed the case for jurors as illegal payments to try to influence illicitly influence the 2016 election that Trump then tried to illegally cover up by falsifying business records.
“The defendant Donald Trump orchestrated a criminal scheme to corrupt the 2016 presidential election,” said prosecutor Matthew Colangelo told jurors. “Then he covered up that criminal conspiracy by lying in his New York business records over and over and over again.”
RELATED: Former President Donald Trump hush money trial explained
Colangelo walked the jury through Trump’s efforts, along with Cohen and former American Media Inc., chief David Pecker, to keep damaging information from coming to light during the 2016 election.
During his opening statement, Colangelo also addressed questions about Cohen’s veracity as a witness, both because it’s a key part of the prosecution’s case and also to get ahead of criticism from Trump’s lawyers. But he told the jurors to remember that whatever issues they might have with Cohen’s credibility, to remember that what he’s saying is backed up by other witnesses and documents in the case.
“Tune out the noise,” Colangelo said.Defense: Donald Trump is innocent
Defense attorney Todd Blanche began his opening statement with a simple assertion: “Donald Trump is innocent.”
Blanche told the jury that the story isn’t as simple as prosecutors laid out and argued that Trump was not involved with any of the business records he’s accused of falsifying beyond signing the checks.
“President Trump had nothing to do, had nothing to do with the invoice, with the check being generated, or with the entry on the ledger,” he said.
