Trump Hush Money Trial: Judge Denies Recusal Bid, Vows to Ensure Fair Treatment for Trump Amid Rumors

Trump Hush Money Trial: Donald Trump has become the first former US president to stand criminal trial ahead of Presidential elections. The Republican leader appeared before a Manhattan court on Monday to face charges stemming from hush-money payments made to porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016.

The US Presidential hopeful stands accused of falsifying internal Trump Organization records as part of a scheme to bury stories that he feared could hurt his election campaign in 2016.

The trial begins today with jury selection, which could take up to two weeks because of the large pool of prospective jurors.

The charges from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg stem from a $130,000 payment Trump's former lawyer, Michael Cohen, made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels at the end of the 2016 election to keep her from going public with an allegation that she and Trump had had an affair.

Trump then repaid Cohen in installments marked as legal fees in company records.

The case is the first of four indictments to go to trial and could complicate Trump's bid to win back the White House. With Trump being the presumptive nominee for this year's Republican ticket.

The trial will also produce the head-spinning split-screen of a presidential candidate spending his days in court and, he has said, “campaigning during the night."

Trump is required to be present for the trial, which will take place four days a week and could last eight weeks.

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Judge Juan Merchan began the day's proceedings by reviewing pending motions. He ruled against a request that he recuse himself from the trial.

The senior politician has pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.

The businessman-turned-politician faces a trial that could result in up to four years in prison if he's convicted.

Scores of people will be called into the courtroom on Monday as the court begins the process of finding 12 jurors and plus six alternates. Trump's notoriety would make the process of picking a jury a near-herculean task in any year, but it's likely to be especially challenging now, unfolding in a closely contested presidential election in the city where Trump grew up and catapulted to celebrity status before winning the White House.

Trump's social media startup, Truth Social, experienced a two-week slump after filing to register shares, including those linked to warrants. This move could potentially allow insiders to capitalize on their stakes, which are currently not permitted until September.

Shares slumped 15% to $27.83, the lowest level since January. Warrants, tied to the stock and exchangeable with cash, fell 6.9% to $12.75. The company's market value has dropped more than $5 billion since its debut in March.

The case pertains to a hush-money payment to a porn star and could complicate his bid to win back the White House.

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