By Kara Scannell, Jeremy Herb, Maureen Chowdhury and Kaanita Iyer, CNN
What you need to know
- Historic criminal trial: Donald Trump is in a New York courtroom as his criminal hush money trial is underway. Trump is the first former president in US history to go on trial for criminal charges. The judge rejected Trump’s request to recuse himself from the trial ahead of jury selection starting soon.
- The jury selection process: Jury selection will continue until a panel of 12 New Yorkers and six alternates are seated. Prospective jurors will be vetted through questions that could signal political views.
- About the case: The Manhattan district attorney charged Trump last year with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records for his alleged role in a hush money scheme to silence his alleged mistresses before the 2016 election. Trump has pleaded not guilty and has denied the affairs. Get up to speed on the case here.
- What’s at stake: This is only one of four criminal cases Trump faces while being the presumptive 2024 GOP nominee. It may be the only case to face a jury before the election, and he could face jail time if convicted. Track the criminal cases here.
CNN reporters are in the courtroom, read their real-time updates below. No cameras are allowed inside.
