Opening statements are heard in Trump's trial

 

It seems like the opening statements are currently underway in Donald Trump's criminal trial related to a hush money scheme. Prosecutors are presenting their case first, and the judge has ruled that Trump can be cross-examined if he chooses to testify, regarding past legal proceedings.

David Pecker, the former publisher of the National Enquirer, is expected to be the first witness called by the district attorney's office after the opening statements. Pecker's involvement allegedly relates to his role in brokering a deal with adult film star Stormy Daniels as part of the hush money scheme.

The case against Trump involves 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, stemming from his alleged involvement in suppressing negative information before the 2016 election. 

It appears that Prosecutor Matthew Colangelo has outlined the prosecution's case, alleging that a conspiracy began shortly after Donald Trump announced his candidacy in 2015. According to Colangelo, Trump, David Pecker, and Michael Cohen allegedly formed a conspiracy during a meeting with the aim of influencing the presidential election by concealing negative information about Trump to assist his election campaign.

Colangelo further asserted that this conspiracy extended to include payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels by Michael Cohen, occurring just weeks before the 2016 election. This narrative suggests a coordinated effort to suppress potentially damaging information that could affect Trump's chances of winning the election.

Prosecutor Matthew Colangelo's opening statements have set the tone for the case, emphasizing that it revolves around a criminal conspiracy and subsequent cover-up. Colangelo explicitly stated that the defendant, former President Donald Trump, allegedly orchestrated a scheme to corrupt the 2016 presidential election. Moreover, he accused Trump of attempting to conceal this criminal conspiracy by repeatedly lying in his New York business records. This framing suggests that the prosecution intends to demonstrate Trump's involvement in illegal activities and subsequent efforts to hide them through falsification of records.