Jury Selection Begins in Trump Hush Money Trial

On Monday, the hush money trial of former President Donald Trump began in New York with jury selection. The trial itself could last up to eight weeks.

Key Details: Hundreds of prospective jurors will show up as the jury selection process begins; that process could last up to two weeks. Prospective jurors will not be asked about their political affiliation, but they will be asked if they have ever attended one of Trump's rallies or if they have ever worked for him. They will also be asked if they have ever been members of the QAnon movement or the Proud Boys.

Key Quotes: “Nothing like this has ever happened before,” Trump said. “This is political persecution. It’s an assault on America and that’s why I’m very proud to be here.” However, the judge in the case refused Trump's request that he recuse himself, saying, “There is no agenda here,” and “We want to follow the law.”

For Context: This is the first ever criminal trial of a former U.S. President. The New York appeals court has previously rejected efforts by Trump's lawyers to delay the trial, which centers on allegations of falsifying business records to hide a $130,000 payment to his then-lawyer Michael Cohen to porn star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election.

How the Media Covered it: Several sources across the political spectrum noted that, of the four cases against Trump in four different jurisdictions, the New York hush money case is the only one that is set to go to trial before the election. Update 4/15/24 12:01 p.m. ET: Added the judge's refusal to recuse himself.