Donald Trump stood in a corridor on the 15th floor of Manhattan’s criminal court building: a dingy place, ornamented with metal barricades and occupied by a small army of court police officers.
“Nothing like this has ever happened,” he said. He was right about that.
This was the first criminal trial of a former president in American history. He is charged with falsifying business records to cover up a $130,000 payment to the adult film star Stormy Daniels, made on the eve of the 2016 election to stop her discussing her claims to have slept with him a decade earlier.
Trump addresses reporters before entering the courtroom
This trial was “an assault on our country”, Trump said. “I’m proud to be here.”
He paused on the threshold of the courtroom and
