Court has wrapped up for the first day of Donald Trump’s long-awaited hush-money trial in New York.
It marks the first time that a US president – former or current – has faced a criminal trial.
Dozens of potential jurors have been excused after saying they cannot be impartial.
Jury selection is expected to continue for at least the rest of the week.
Donald Trump is accused of trying to cover up a $130,000 hush-money payment to adult movie star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election – which he won.
Stormy Daniels claims she and Donald Trump had an affair in 2006, and she was then paid by Trump’s then-lawyer Michael Cohen to stay quiet about it.
Donald Trump is accused of falsifying his business records by saying the reimbursement money he gave Michael Cohen was for legal fees.
He faces 34 counts of fraud, but denies any legal wrongdoing – and also denies having an affair with Daniels.
The maximum penalty if Donald Trump is found guilty is four years behind bars, but experts say a much less severe penalty would be more likely.
Speaking outside court, Donald Trump said he was upset about possibly missing son’s graduation.
He said some “amazing things happened today”.
The former president then brings up how the judge may not let him go to his son’s high school graduation.
The judge told Trump they would make a call on that closer to the date.
He criticises the judge, and the case. And once again makes the unsubstantiated claim that it is “election interference”.
Donald Trump has repeatedly made these types of allegations regarding his legal troubles.
And with that, he walks away and takes no questions.
There were 96 people in the first panel of prospective jurors brought into the courtroom today.
In a matter of minutes, 63 were dismissed because they said they could not be impartial in Trump’s hush-money case.
Now that court has resumed, those 33 remaining people will be asked more questions and we will likely see more excused before the day is out. Then there are hundreds more still waiting to be called to the court room.
Finding an impartial jury in New York is going to take some time, probably more than a week.
It’s a blue state, meaning voters are largely Democrats.
Donald Trump’s relationship with the city, where he made a name for himself as a real estate tycoon.
