NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 23: Former U.S. President Donald Trump appears in court for his trial for allegedly covering up hush money payments at Manhattan Criminal Court on April 23, 2024 in New York City. Former U....NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 23: Former U.S. President Donald Trump appears in court for his trial for allegedly covering up hush money payments at Manhattan Criminal Court on April 23, 2024 in New York City. Former U.S. President Donald Trump faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in the first of his criminal cases to go to trial. (Photo by Brendan McDermid-Pool/Getty Images)MORE LESS
This week we saw the first criminal trial against Donald Trump begin in earnest. The jury has been selected and the prosecution has called its first witnesses.
The former president is accused of crimes stemming from his hush money scheme in which he and his associates sought to keep Stormy Daniels quiet until after the 2016 election. This is the first criminal trial against a former U.S. President, and, unlike with Trump’s other, recent legal troubles, Trump will need to appear in court for much of this trial.
On Tuesday, Judge Juan Merchan held a contempt hearing to determine whether Trump should be sanctioned for allegedly disobeying the gag order on the case a number of times. This week also the beginning of testimony from David Percker, a former tabloid executive who orchestrated the “catch and kill” scheme, suppressing negative stories (such as Stormy Daniels’) for Trump ahead of the 2016 election.
Trump arrives at the Manhattan courthouse for day one of the trial
Former U.S. President Donald Trump arrives at Manhattan Criminal Court as he attends the first day of his trial for allegedly covering up hush money payments linked to extramarital affairs, in New York City on April 15, 2024. (Photo by ADAM GRAY/AFP via Getty Images)
Protesters demonstrate outside of the courthouse
Demonstrators protest outside of Manhattan Criminal Court as Trump attends the first day of his trial. (Photo by ADAM GRAY/AFP via Getty Images)
Trump arrives for day one
(Photo by ANGELA WEISS/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Trump scowls in the Manhattan courtroom
(Photo by ANGELA WEISS/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Trump critics gather outside of the courthouse
Critics of Donald Trump gather outside of the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
Trump arrives for day one
(Photo by JABIN BOTSFORD/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Trump arrives for day one
(Photo by ANGELA WEISS/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Trump enters the courthouse ahead of day one
(Photo by Michael Nagle – Pool/Getty Images)
Trump in the courthouse ahead of day one
(Photo by JEENAH MOON/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Trump walks toward the courtroom
(Photo by ANGELA WEISS/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Trump and his lawyers ready for the first day of the trial
(Photo by JEFFERSON SIEGEL/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Trump and his legal team prepare for the start of jury selection
Trump appears with his legal team ahead of the start of jury selection. (Photo by Jabin Botsford-Pool/Getty Images)
Trump in court
(Photo by Jefferson Siegel-Pool/Getty Images)
Trump in court
(Photo by Jabin Botsford-Pool/Getty Images)
Trump returns to the courtroom after a break
Trump returns to the courtroom after a break. (Photo by Jeenah Moon-Pool/Getty Images)
Trump and his legal team
(Photo by JABIN BOTSFORD/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Trump in court
(Photo by Angela Weiss – Pool/Getty Images)
Trump in court
(Photo by Angela Weiss – Pool/Getty Images)
Trump exits the courtroom
(Photo by Jabin Botsford-Pool/Getty Images)
Trump speaks to the press outside the courtroom
Trump speaks to the press after the first day of his trial. (Photo by Angela Weiss – Pool/Getty Images)
Trump arrives back at Trump Tower after the first day of the trial
Trump arrives back to Trump Tower after the first day of his trial. (Photo by ADAM GRAY/AFP via Getty Images)
Trump enters Trump Tower
(Photo by ADAM GRAY/AFP via Getty Images)
Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg arrives for the second day of the trial
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (L) arrives at Manhattan Criminal Court for the second day of the trial. (Photo by KENA BETANCUR/AFP via Getty Images)
Trump departs Trump Tower to tatend day two of the trial
Trump departs Trump Tower for Manhattan Criminal Court to attend the second day of his trial. (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images)
Trump arrives at the courthouse for the second day of the trial
Trump arrives for the second day of his trial. (Photo by KENA BETANCUR/AFP via Getty Images)
Trump speaks to the press as he arrives for day two of the trial
Trump speaks as he arrives for the second day of his criminal trial. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
Trump attends the second day of his criminal trial
(Photo by MARY ALTAFFER/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Trump and his lawyer Todd Blanche
(Photo by MARK PETERSON/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Trump sits in the courtroom on day two
(Photo by Justin Lane-Pool/Getty Images)
Trump speaks to the media outside the courtroom
Trump on the first day of opening arguments, April 22. (Photo by Victor J. Blue-Pool/Getty Images)
Alina Habba and Jason Miller appear in the courthouse
Trump’s advisor and Trump’s lawyer on separate cases appeared on the day of opening arguments. (Photo by Brendan McDermid-Pool/Getty Images)
Alina Habba adresses the media
(Photo by Brendan McDermid-Pool/Getty Images)
Trump sits in court
(Photo by Angela Weiss – Pool/Getty Images)
Trump looking low-energy for opening statements
(Photo by Yuki Iwamura-Pool/Getty Images)
Trump returns to the courtroom after a recess
Trump on April 23. (Photo by BRENDAN MCDERMID/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Communications aide Natalie Harp appears outside the courtroom
(Photo by Curtis Means-Pool/Getty Images)
Photographers gather in front of Trump
(Photo by Curtis Means-Pool/Getty Images)
Trump and Blanche in the courtroom
(Photo by Curtis Means-Pool/Getty Images)
Trump sits in court
(Photo by Yuki Iwamura-Pool/Getty Images)
A glassy-eyed Trump in the courtroom
(Photo by Brendan McDermid-Pool/Getty Images)
Trump flips through a stack of papers before departing the courthouse
(Photo by Yuki Iwamura-Pool/Getty Images)
Christine Frapech
is TPM's designer and event planner based in New York.
