Opening arguments begin in Trump hush money trial

HOUSTON, US

Opening arguments began Monday in the Donald Trump hush money trial in an historic case of the first-ever criminal charges being levied against a former US president.

Trump was front and center in the New York courtroom as prosecutor Matthew Colangelo spelled out the case to the jury regarding the 34 criminal counts the former president faces, according to media outlets.

Colangelo said that Trump conspired with his former attorney and "fixer" Michael Cohen and David Pecker, the former publisher of the National Enquirer tabloid, to pay off porn star Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal from disclosing their alleged sexual affairs with him. The price of what is known as the "catch and kill" scheme cost more than $130,000 and $150,000 for Daniels and McDougal, respectively, which prosecutors said Trump falsely listed as business expenses to "conceal that illegal election fraud."

"This case is about a criminal conspiracy and a cover-up," said Colangelo. "The defendant, Donald Trump, orchestrated a criminal scheme to corrupt the 2016 presidential election. Then he covered up the criminal conspiracy by lying in his New York state business records over and over and over again."

On the converse end, Trump's defense attorney Todd Blanche flipped the script, countering that Cohen, the prosecution's star witness, was a liar who was "obsessed" with Trump and that Cohen's success hinged upon Trump's "destruction." Blanche emphasized that Trump did nothing illegal.

"Spoiler alert: There’s nothing wrong with trying to influence the election. It’s called democracy," said Blanche. "President Trump did not commit any crimes."

Blanche also aimed to soften the jury's perception of Trump by humanizing the former president.

"He’s also a man, he’s a husband, he’s a father," he said. "And he’s a person, just like you and me."

After the day's proceedings wrapped up, the former president told reporters that the trial was going "very well" and that there was nothing wrong with classifying reimbursement for hush money as legal fees.

"What else would you call it?" said Trump. "In the book, it’s a little lie."

"It’s a case as to bookkeeping, which is a very minor thing in terms of the law, in terms of all the violent crime," he added. "It's very unfair."