First criminal trial of former U.S. president begins in Manhattan

Trump's historic criminal trial began in New York with jury selection, making him the first former U.S. president to face criminal prosecution. The trial centers on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to $130,000 in hush money payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels during the 2016 campaign. Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg alleges Trump falsified records to conceal the payments, which were made to prevent damaging information from surfacing before the election. The trial was expected to last six to eight weeks and marked a singular moment in American history, with Trump required to attend court proceedings while campaigning for president. Multiple outlets characterized the start of jury selection as unprecedented in U.S. political and legal history.