Trump trial live updates: Prosecution frames case as ‘criminal conspiracy and cover up’ in opening statements

After a tense week of jury selection, Donald Trump’s criminal hush money trial is now truly underway with opening statements from the prosecution and defence.

The jury will then hear evidence against the former president and his counter-argument before deciding his fate. The first witness will be tabloid mogul and National Enquirer owner David Pecker.

New York Justice Juan Merchan ruled that Manhattan prosecutors can question Mr Trump about a blockbuster fraud ruling, gag order violations and defamation verdicts if he chooses to testify.

The defendant spent much of the weekend complaining about the case on Truth Social and angrily posting his presidential immunity claims — on which the Supreme Court will hear arguments this Thursday.

Meanwhile, figures released by the Federal Election Commission on Saturday revealed that legal fees had eaten up three-quarters of the cash brought in by the pro-Trump Save America PAC, a key fundraising group.

Elsewhere among the myriad legal issues engulfing the former president, Monday will also see a hearing on whether to cancel Mr Trump’s $175m bond to appeal the civil fraud trial ruling and the public filing of witness statements in the classified documents case.

Donald Trump, Michael Cohen, and AMI’s David Pecker “conspired to influence the 2016 presidential election” by conceiving of the catch-and-kill scheme, Colangelo says.

Opening statements are now underway with prosecution attorney Assistant District Attorney Matthew Colangelo beginning.

“This case is about a criminal conspiracy – and a cover-up. The defendant Donald Trump orchestrated a criminal scheme to corrupt the 2016 presidential election. Then he covered up that criminal conspiracy by lying in his business records, over