Key takeaways from day one of Trump’s hush money trial

Donald Trump’s historic hush money trial is now underway, withjury selection the first task.

The former president is now expected to be in court four days a week for the next six to eight weeks.

He is facing 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in a bid to cover up hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels. He allegedly paid Ms Daniels $130,000 in exchange for her silence over a 2006 affair. Trump denies the affair and all the charges against him.

Here are the takeaways of day one of The People v Donald Trump:

At several points during proceedings, Mr Trump appeared to dose off, according to court reporters who were present at the trial on Monday.

“Trump appears to be sleeping. His head keeps dropping down and his mouth goes slack,” New York Times reporter Maggie Habermanreported.

The observation quickly inspired a new nickname for the 77-year-old former president: “Sleepy Don” which spread across social media.

“Looks, he’s old. The judge is keeping Sleepy Don from his nap time,” Meidas Touch editor-in-chief Ron Filipkowski posted.

Trump’s campaign has furiously denied that he fell asleep, blasting the claims as “100% fake news.”

Trump did little talking inside the courtroom on Monday, but prosecutors accused him of violating a gag order imposed on him in March to prevent him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors.

On Monday, he was accused of violating that gag order, with prosecutor Chris Conroy asking Judge Juan Merchan to hold Mr Trump in contempt and impose a $3,000 fine on him for attacking two potential trial witnesses – Stormy Daniels, the adult film star at the centre of the criminal case, and his ex-lawyer Michael Cohen – after the former president