Donald Trump's historic hush money trial in Manhattan kicked off with opening statements and could end with testimony from the first witness.

Prosecutors laid out what the former president's 'scheme to corrupt the 2016 election' with 'catch and kill' plots.

Trump's legal team then insisted there was 'nothing wrong' with trying to influence an election and criticized the credibility of Michael Cohen and Stormy Daniels. 

Former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker also took the stand before the court adjourned early so a juror could go to the dentist. 

Follow DailyMail.com's live coverage from reporters inside the New York courtroom. 

This live blog has now closed.

20:08

Michael Cohen slaps back at Trump's claims his crimes have nothing to do with him

Michael Cohen has slapped back at Donald Trump's claims that his crimes had 'nothing to do with him'.

The former president spoke to reporters about his former fixer as he left court following opening statements in the hush money trial.

'He got in trouble, he went to jail. This has nothing to do with me,' said Trump. 'This had to do with the taxicab company that he owed, which is just something he owned — and medallions and borrowing money'.

Cohen hit back with a very colorful response on social media.

He posted on X: 'Hey Von S***InPantz … your attacks of me stink of desperation. We are all hoping that you take the stand in your defense'.

Cohen served a stint in federal prison for breaking campaign finance lawyers by facilitating the $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels to keep her quiet about the alleged affair.

The former lawyer was also sentenced for tax evasion related to a taxi medallion enterprise.

Cohen is expected to be the prosecution's star witness in the hush money trial.

But Trump's legal team called him a liar during opening statements and questioned his credibility.

19:45

Prosecutors tease bombshell phone call between Trump and Michael Cohen about Karen McDougal's 'affair' claims that led to a $150,000 payment to 'silence' the Playboy model

Prosecutors in former President Donald Trump's hush money trial said Monday that they will play the September 2016 phone call between Trump and Michael Cohen in which they discuss paying off Playboy model Karen McDougal over affair allegations.

Cohen secretly recorded a conversation with his-then boss and the two-minute recording was unearthed during the FBI's June 2018 raid of his home, with its existence first reported by CBS that July.

Now it's primed to become a major moment in Trump's hush money trial.

'You'll hear the defendant in his own voice, ask what are we going to pay for this? 150?' prosecutor Matthew Colangelo teased during opening statements. 'You'll hear him in his own voice suggest paying in cash.'

Colangelo reminded the jury that this deal was arranged six weeks before the 2016 presidential election, as prosecutors argued that Trump orchestrated a criminal plot to 'corrupt' the election and then tried to cover it up.

Secret Trump-Cohen call on McDougal payoff will be played at trialProsecutors in the hush money trial said they will play the September 2016 phone call between Donald Trump and Michael Cohen in which they discuss paying off Playboy model Karen McDougal.Mail Online19:27

Trump shook his head in defiance while the spellbound jury locked eyes on the prosecutor: A gripping account from inside court

From Rob Crilly, Senior Political Reporter at Manhattan Criminal Court for DailyMail.com:

The 12 members of the jury and their six alternates sat rapt with attention. For 45 minutes they listened to the lead prosecutor lay out the case against former President Donald Trump.

Matthew Colangelo delivered all the drama of a B-movie plot as he took them on a wild ride from a shady Trump Tower 'catch and kill' meeting to the extraordinary image of President Trump paying a loyal fixer by signing checks inside the White House, with a cast that included muckraking journalists, a now-disbarred lawyer who recorded his phone calls and a porn star.

Only one person inside courtroom 1530 looked unimpressed: The star of the show.

Trump leaned back in his chair, shoulders slumped at times. He did not look once at the jury as the case against him was laid out.

You did not need to be a body language expert to read 'nothing to see here' in his posture.

READ MORE BELOW

Prosecution opening statement holds jury agog while Trump just shrugsThe 12 members of the jury and their six alternates sat rapt with attention. For 45 minutes they listened to the lead prosecutor lay out the case against former President Donald Trump .Mail Online19:22

Donald Trump poised to receive $1.25 BILLION in Trump Media stock bonus Monday after DJT shares maintain momentum

As Trump Media stock continues to defy expectations, former President Donald Trump could be in for a billion-dollar payday.

If Trump Media - which owns the former president's Truth Social app - closes the day above $17.50 on Monday, Trump will receive an additional 36 million shares as an 'earnout' bonus.

Based on the $35 price per share which the company was trading around Monday afternoon, that bonus would be worth a whopping $1.25 billion.

Those 36 million shares would be in addition to the nearly 79 million shares the former president already owns.

In total, Donald Trump's shares of Trump Media could reach up to $4.2 billion by the end of Monday.

The earnout bonus was a part of the deal between Digital World Acquisition Corporation and Trump Media before the two companies merged in January.

However, the former president is barred from selling his shares until at least six months after the merger's closing date.

18:53

How Trump and Michael Cohen were shown National Enquirer stories about 'Ted Cruz's infidelity and his 'links' to the JFK assassination' BEFORE they went to print: Prosecutors lay out 'deals' with publisher David Pecker

Prosecutors in Donald Trump's Stormy Daniels trial used opening arguments to describe a hand-in-glove relationship between the former president and ex-National Enquirer publisher David Pecker while the paper unleashed attacks on Trump's 2016 opponents.

It was a partnership that shaped bombshell tabloid stories from the 2016 campaign, including an Enquirer piece claiming Ted Cruz had five mistresses and another thinly sourced story linking his dad Rafael to Lee Harvey Oswald and the John F. Kennedy assassination

Prosecutor Matthew Colangelo described the activities of Pecker during remarks that that sketched out an alleged 'criminal conspiracy and a cover-up' involving Trump, former fixer Michael Cohen, and Pecker, the former AMI media exec.

It was a relationship consisting of two key elements: Efforts to 'catch and kill' stories that could harm Trump, while blasting out headlines that could hurt his opponents, prosecutors said.

Trump shown Enquirer hit stories on Ted Cruz before they went to printProsecutors used some of their opening arguments to detail Trump's involvement in 2016 National Enquirer stories that savaged his opponents. The same figures were involved in the Stormy Daniels payoff.Mail Online18:36

'It's called democracy': Trump's attorney rejects claims hush payments were made to help win the 2016 election, blasts 'obsessed' Michael Cohen and claims Stormy Daniels made up the affair

Former President Donald Trump's attorney rejected claims by the prosecution in his criminal hush money case that payments to pornstar Stormy Daniels were made to help him win the 2016 election.

Trump's lawyer Todd Blanche also made the case that Trump, being a 'frugal' penny pincher, would never have overpaid his 'obsessed' personal attorney Michael Cohen and attempted to discredit Daniels, saying she fabricated their affair.

Opening statements kicked off Monday morning in the bombshell case that's sure to expose Trump's secrets.

In his opening plea to the 12-person jury, Blanche insisted that Trump is 'innocent' and never committed any crimes in a case that should never have been brought in the first place.

Blanche said that Trump was somebody who was 'larger than life' who was likely known to the jury who had seen him on television.

'But he's also here in this courtroom doing what any of us would do, defending himself,' Blanche said.

Blanche said he was going to refer to Trump as 'President Trump' as it was 'title he has earned because he was our 45th president.'

Trump attorney says hush payments were not made to win 2016 electionFormer President Donald Trump's attorney rejected claims by the prosecution in his criminal hush money case that payments to pornstar Stormy Daniels were made to help him win the 2016 election.Mail Online17:21

Trump insists the trial is going 'very well' and insists his payment to Michael Cohen was a legal expense

A defiant Donald Trump left the Manhattan court on Monday morning insisting the trial was going 'very well'.

The former president claimed he was indicted over 'bookkeeping' and a 'very minor thing' compared to the 'violent crime going on outside'.

He then went after Michael Cohen by saying the things his fixer 'went to jail for' had 'nothing to do with me'.

'It's very unfair what's going on and I should be allowed to campaign,' he said 'We did nothing wrong.'

17:11

Prosecutors claim Trump was a 'frugal businessman'... but didn't 'negotiate down' when paying Michael Cohen

Prosecutor Matthew Colangelo claimed Donald Trump was a 'frugal businessman' who 'believed in pinching pennies'.

But when it came to paying Michael Cohen for the alleged 'catch and kill' deal, he didn't 'negotiate down'.

Colangelo was insinuating that Trump was willing to pay a premium fee when it came to covering up his alleged affairs.

This, the prosecutor said, shows 'just how important it was to him to hide the true nature'.

Trump's attorney Todd Blanche hit back and noted that the ex-president paid Cohen paid $420,000, rather than $130,000.

'Would a frugal businessman … would a man who pinches pennies” repay a $130,000 debt to the tune of $420,000, Blanche told the jury.

'This was not a payback.'

17:09

Trump slams Michael Cohen after leaving courtroom despite gag order meant to prevent him from doing so

Former President Donald Trump exited the courtroom Monday afternoon shortly before 1:00 p.m.

He immediately launched into a tirade attacking his former attorney Michael Cohen, whom Judge Merchan has ordered him to not speak about.

Trump mentioned how Cohen has had run-ins with the law in the past, but noted to reporters they 'had nothing to do with me.'

'He represented a lot of people over the years but they take this payment and they call it a legal expense.'

'This is what I got indicted over,' Trump said.

'It’s a case as to bookkeeping which is a very minor thing in terms of the law, in terms of all the violent crime,' Trump continued

Trump said that the trial was 'unfair' and that he should be allowed to campaign for his presidential bid instead of sitting in court.

16:36

Court wraps up early because of a juror's dental appointment

National Enquirer publisher David Pecker didn't get far with his testimony before the judge wrapped up proceedings early for the day.

Pecker told the court he had the final say on 'big stories' involving celebrities walked through the process of picking the magazine's cover.

He also explained to the jury how they used 'checkbook journalism' to pay for stories and how he had a private email to hide certain communications with his assistant.

The tabloid executive is a central figure in the case after he alerted Trump's lawyer Michael Cohen about Stormy Daniels and her plan to reveal her claims of an alleged affair with Trump in 2006.

Pecker alerted Trump in October 2016 of Daniel's affair allegations, but she ultimately settled a $130,000 non-disclosure deal with Trump's lawyer Michael Cohen.

16:20

Trump attorney Alina Habba decries trial as a 'disgrace to the American judicial system'

Trump's attorney Alina Habba slammed the trial as a disgrace Monday afternoon.

'The fact that we have two courts not one, criminal and civil, being used against one man because they cannot beat him in the polls is a disgrace to the American judicial system,' Habba told reporters.

'You should not have two teams of lawyers here today.'

She called the case 'the epitome of a witch hunt.'

Judge makes bombshell ruling over the $175 million bondA judge ruled Monday that a $175 million bond that Donald Trump obtained from a California insurance company could stand. Trump lawyer Alina Habba blasted the move to challenge it.Mail Online16:06

David Pecker takes the stand as first witness testimony kicks off

Senior U.S. Political Reporter Rob Crilly reports from court:

The prosecution called David Pecker, former National Enquirer publisher, as their first witness.

He entered wearing a grey suit with a yellow tie and glasses. Pecker sported a neatly trimmed moustache and glossy hair.

Pecker is a central figure in the case after he alerted Trump's lawyer Michael Cohen about Stormy Daniels and her plan to reveal her claims of an alleged affair with Trump in 2006.

Pecker alerted Trump in October 2016 of Daniel's affair but she ultimately settled a $130,000 non-disclosure deal with Trump's lawyer Michael Cohen.

Prosecutors will grill Pecker about her personal friendship with Trump and his efforts to help him 'catch and kill' negative stories about him during the presidential campaign.

Pecker also directed a payment to former Playboy Playmate Karen McDougal to suppress her claims of an extended affair with Trump.

First witness identified in Donald Trump criminal trialFormer National Enquirer publisher David Pecker will be the first witness during the trial of former President Donald Trump in New York which resumes on Monday, according to the New York Times.Mail Online16:05

Judge clashes with defense attorney who suggested Stormy Daniels tried to extort Trump and Michael Cohen is liar

Senior U.S. Political Reporter Rob Crilly reports from court:

Judge Merchan flashed some irritation with Trump defense lead Todd Blanche during his 30-minute opening statement.

The prosecution raised objections six times, first as Blanche tried to suggest that Stormy Daniels may have been trying to extort Trump.

Merchan sustained the first two then called both sides up to the bench for a brief conference before allowing the third objection to stand.

The same thing then happened minutes later as Blanche tried to suggest key prosecution witness Michael Cohen was a liar.

Merchan could be seen talking animatedly to Blanche during their brief conference.

Objections are not unprecedented in opening statements. But they are fairly unusual. The lawyers know the law and have had time to prepare their addresses. Objections are more usual during the evidence phase, when witnesses are quizzed.

16:02

Trump's defense attorneys lay into Michael Cohen calling him 'obsessed' with former president and that his livelihood 'depended on Trump's destruction'

Defense attorney Todd Blanche told the jury that Michael Cohen, the president's former attorney, is 'obsessed' with Trump and relies on him for income.

Blanche noted how Cohen has written multiple books about the former president and frequently does media appearances to speak about the 45th U.S. president.

'His entire financial livelihood depends on President Trump’s destruction,' Blanche said.

'You cannot make a serious decision about President Trump relying on the words of Michael Cohen, Blanche continued.

Cohen previously served time in prison for lying to Congress and campaign finance crimes related to the Stormy Daniels payment he made on behalf of Trump.

15:45

Stormy Daniels tried to 'embarrass' Trump by claiming they had an affair

Donald Trump's attorney Todd Blanche said her 'false allegations' she had an affair with the former president were 'sinister'.

'It was an attempt to embarrass President Trump, to embarrass his family,' Blanche said in his opening statement.

The saga between Trump and porn star Daniels began in 2006 when they met at a golf tournament in Nevada.

The case revolves around the payment made to Daniels by Trump's then-fixer Michel Cohen ahead of the 2016 presidential election to keep her quiet about an alleged sexual encounter with Trump in 2006.

She claims it occurred less than four months after Melania Trump gave birth to the couple's son, Barron.

Since then there have been legal twists and turns at every corner, while Trump has spent four years in the White House and is now in the middle of bid for another term.

Trump has consistently denied the affair and insists there was no sexual encounter.

Here is a timeline of her salacious claims.

Timeline of the Donald Trump and Stormy Daniels saga that led to trialWitnesses will testify about lurid allegations of hotel suite encounters, blockbuster TV interviews and backroom deals involving the presumptive Republican nominee for president.Mail Online15:35

Trump attorney: 'There is nothing wrong with trying to influence an election'

Donald Trump's lead attorney Todd Blanche started his opening statement by insisting the former president didn't commit a crime and 'there is nothing wrong with trying to influence an election'.

'The 34 counts, ladies and gentlemen, are really just pieces of paper,' Blanche told the jury.

'None of this was a crime,' he added.

About the payment to Stormy Daniels, he said: 'Ask yourself: would a frugal businessman who pinches pennies repay a $130,000 debt to the tune of $420,000?'

He then addressed the heart of the allegations in the hush money case and said: 'I have a spoiler alert: There’s nothing wrong with trying to influence an election. It’s called democracy.'

15:22

The lawyer who facilitated Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal deals wrote on 2016 election night to National Enquirer boss 'What have we done?'

Keith Davidson, the lawyer who cut deals for Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal with the National Enquirer, texted the outlet's editor-in-chief Dylan Howard on the evening of the 2016 election: 'What have we done?'

Prosecutor Matthew Colangelo noted the message while laying out his opening arguments before the jury.

McDougal, the 1998 Playboy playmate of the year, claims she had a year-long affair with Trump between 2006 and 2007.

She claims the pair were in 'love' but he has denied they had a relationship.

15:15

Prosecution questions National Enquirer stories that targeted Trump's 2016 GOP opponents: Ted Cruz's 'sexual infidelity' and Ben Carson's medical malpractice mentioned

Prosecutor Matthew Colangelo brought up stories that seemed to attack Trump's 2016 GOP primary opponents, saying they could be a part of coordination between the former president and the outlet to impact that year's election.

Colangelo mentioned stories from the outlet that accused Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, of 'sexual infidelity.'

He also mentioned a story that highlighted Ted Cruz's alleged 'family connection to the JFK assassination.'

Further, Colangelo brought up an additional National Enquirer story that accused Ben Carson of medical malpractice before the election.

15:04

Prosecutor Matthew Colangelo explains 'catch and kill' methods allegedly used by Trump to avoid bad press before 2016 election

Assistant District Attorney Matthew Colangelo laid the groundwork for the case against Donald Trump by explaining to the jury how a 'catch and kill' scheme works and who was involved in Trump's case.

'They used a practice called catch and kill,' he told the jury.

'It’s a way of buying damaging information not to publish it, but to hide it, make it go away, and in this case, help the candidate.'

Colangelo argued that the ex-publisher of National Enquirer, David Pecker, allegedly paid a Trump Tower doorman $30,000 for exclusive rights to a story about the former president potentially fathering a secret child.

'It was the first time that David Pecker had ever paid anyone for information about Donald Trump,' Colangelo said.

The prosecutor then described another 'catch and kill' deal with Karen McDougal, a former Playboy model who has alleged she had a months-long affair with Trump.

Colangelo told the court that additional evidence would highlight how Trump 'desperately did not want this information about Karen McDougal to become public because he was concerned about the election.'

14:49

Trump shakes his head as prosecutors say he 'orchestrated a criminal scheme to corrupt the 2016 presidential election' in blockbuster opening statement in the hush money trial

Trump shook his head as a prosecutor told the courtroom that he orchestrated a criminal scheme to corrupt the 2106 election.

'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,' Assistant District Attorney Matthew Colangelo said.

Matthew Colangelo, a prosecutor under New York District Attorney Alvin Bragg, is arguing before the jurors now.

'Then he covered up that criminal conspiracy by lying in his New York business records over and over and over again,' Colangelo said.

Trump shakes his head as prosecutors accuse him of 'criminal scheme'Donald Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records, which caries a possible maximum four-year jail sentence.Mail Online14:34

Donald dozes at morning trial: Trump appears to have issues staying awake as Judge Merchan reads lengthy jury instructions

Former President Donald Trump appeared to have difficulty staying awake as Judge Merchan delivered lengthy instructions to the jury.

According to reporters in the room, Trump's eyes appeared closed at several points and his head seemed to nod down before he snapped back to attention.

Merchan gave the jurors instructions for nearly 30 minutes as Trump seemed to ward off sleepiness.

14:23

Judge tells jurors that witnesses can only testify about 'matters they have personal knowledge of'

Judge Juan Merchan tells jurors they cannot guess or speculate about what a witness may have seen or what they know.

He said those who take the stand should only speak about 'matters they have personal knowledge of.'

Here are some of the key figures set to testify in the case in the coming weeks.

The witnesses likely to testify in the Donald Trump hush money caseDonald Trump will be the first former president to ever stand trial on criminal charges when the case involving hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels gets underway in Manhattan.Mail Online14:06

Trump shakes his head in frustration as judge rules he can be questioned on $364 million fraud fine, Access Hollywood tape

Trump shook his head in court as Judge Merchan said that he could be questioned on a slew of damaging matters.

Before the jury came in, he ruled that the transcript of the infamous Access Hollywood tape should be allowed in as evidence, even if the tape itself cannot be played because it would be prejudicial.

Merchan also ruled on material outside of the case that Trump can be cross examined on if he gives evidence.

He said Trump could be questioned on outside matters if they were ‘criminal, vicious and immoral acts.'

Trump shook his head in clear frustration as the judge said that prosecutors could grill him about the $364 million verdict handed down by another New York judge for business fraud.

He also could be asked about combined fines of $15,000 for making ‘untrue, disparaging and personally identifying posts’ about the judge’s law clerk in that case.’

14:01

The jury is brought in... and 'The State of New York vs Donald J. Trump' officially begins

Judge Juan Merchan asks the jury to be brought in ahead of opening statements.

'Members of the jury, we are about to proceed with the trial of the people of the state of New York vs Donald J Trump,' he says.

'You must decide this case on the evidence'.

Merchan told the panel of 12 Manhattan residents that the 'defendant is presumed innocent' in the proceedings, and they should find him 'not guilty' if prosecutors don't meet the 'burden of proof'.

13:59

Prosecutors are allowed to ask Trump about E. Jean Carroll verdicts

Prosecutors can ask Donald Trump about both E. Jean Carroll verdicts in federal court if he takes the stand in the hush money trial, the judge ruled on Monday.

In both cases, a jury found that Trump defamed the Elle columnist when he denied rape allegations.

He was also found liable for sexual assault.

13:49

Trump asks why his fans can't protest outside the courthouse while pro-Palestinian 'rioters' can 'scream' and 'block traffic'

Donald Trump questioned why pro-Palestinian protesters are allowed to ‘roam cities’ and ‘block traffic’ while MAGA supporters are shut down.

The former president then urged his faithful fans to protest ‘all over the country’ hours before opening statements in the hush money trial began.

‘America Loving Protesters should be allowed to protest at the front steps of Courthouses, all over the Country, just like it is allowed for those who are destroying our Country on the Radical Left, a two-tiered system of justice,’ he posted on Truth Social on Monday morning.

He started off by asking: ‘Why are Palestinian protesters, and even rioters, allowed to roam the Cities, scream, shout, sit, block traffic, enter buildings, not get permits, and basically do whatever they want including threatening Supreme Court Justices right in front of their homes, and yet people who truly LOVE our Country, and want to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, are not allowed to “Peacefully Protest,” and are rudely and systematically shut down and ushered off to far away “holding areas,” essentially denying them their Constitutional Rights.’

13:48

Juror who expressed concerns over media attention will stay on panel, Judge Merchan says

Despite one of the jurors expressing concern over the media attention they may receive as a result of the highly publicized trial, they will remain on the panel, Judge Juan Merchan said.

'Juror number nine is going to remain with us,' Merchan said.

He added that the media attention is 'not going to be an issue.'

13:38

Trump's shoulders stooped down as he takes seat in the courtroom

Senior U.S. Political Reporter Rob Crilly reports from court:

Trump walked in at the head of his defense team, shoulders slightly stooped.

He took his seat in the front row of the court, facing a wall of 20ft high wood paneling, inscribed with 'In God We Trust.'

One of his top campaign aides, Jason Miller, has taken a seat at the back of the court

Six rows of journalists are seated on hard wooden benches behind the defendant.

The court has a scuffed, tiled floor. And has been modified for the trial, with four large video screens.

A pool of photographers has just hurried in to take pictures of Trump.

13:31

Former President Donald Trump arrived at the New York courthouse ahead of his ongoing hush money trial as the first day featuring witness testimony is about to kick off

Former President Donald Trump has arrived at the courtroom for his ongoing hush money trial.

Shortly before entering the courtroom, he spoke to the press calling the trial 'a witch hunt.'

'This is a witch hunt and it's a shame,' Trump said.

'I just want people to understand that this is done for purposes of hurting the opponent of the worst president in the history of our country.'

Trump also called the trial election interference, saying it keeps him from events in battleground states crucial to his re-election effort.

The former president also did not mince words about another ongoing trial that he's embroiled in.

'Second of all, we have another trial going on right now. That's Leticia James. She campaigned on the fact that 'I will get Trump, I'm going to get Trump' and it has to do with a bond of $175 million.'

Currently, Trump is attempting to post a bond payment in New York, but New York Attorney General Letitia James has brought up issues with the settlement.

Trump entered the room just before 9:30 a.m.

13:01

Trump tears into pro-Palestinian 'rioters' who 'scream' and 'block traffic' while MAGA is 'not allowed' to protest as he heads to court for opening statements

Donald Trump left his Manhattan home on Monday morning and headed to court to hear opening statements in the historic hush money trial after tearing into pro-Palestinian protesters.

The former president could also be confronted with the prosecutors' first witness, former National Enquirer publisher and friend David Pecker.

The 77-year-old waved and raised his fist to photographers and onlookers as he walked across the sidewalk from Trump Tower and got into his waiting SUV.

On Monday morning he took to Truth Social to post 'witch hunt' and 'election interference' to slam the Stormy Daniels case he says is a political prosecution.

He also asked why pro-Palestinian demonstrators were allowed to 'roam cities' and 'block traffic' while his supporters weren't allowed to protest outside court.

He issued a rallying cry to his MAGA faithful and told them to march 'across the country'.

Trump heads to court and braces for opening statementsThe 77-year-old waved to photographers and onlookers as he walked across the sidewalk from Trump Tower and got into his waiting SUV.Mail Online12:05

Trump forced to cancel first rally since start of hush money trial

Donald Trump was 'devastated' on Saturday when he had to cancel his first rally since the start of the hush money trial.

The former president was set to speak to his MAGA faithful in Wilmington, North Carolina.

But a storm forced him to suspend the event. He called into the site and apologized to the thousands of fans who had shown up to watch him.

He promised to reschedule a 'bigger and better' event at the same location as 'quickly as possible'.

11:59

'Tortured jurors department': Donald Trump mocked with Taylor Swift reference during hush money trial by former White House press secretary

Former White House press secretary Jen Psaki used Taylor Swift to taunt Donald Trump over the weekend.

Psaki, who now works for MSNBC after serving under Joe Biden, posted a graphic with a court sketch from the former president's trial with the caption: 'Tortured Jurors Department'.

It was a spin on the title of Swift's new album that was released last week.

Biden has been reportedly seeking Switf's endorsement ahead of his rematch with Donald Trump.

Trump has said she would be 'disloyal' if he backed his rival.

11:52

Trump accused of violating gag order SEVEN more times and risks jail: Hearing on gag order violations will be on Tuesday

Witness testimony will pause on Tuesday when the judge considers whether Donald Trump should be held in contempt for violating the gag order.

Attorneys for the Manhattan District Attorney's Office said the former president should be punished for sharing a New York Post article calling Michael Cohen a 'serial perjurer' and 'embarrassment' to the court system.

Another was Trump resharing a quote from Fox News host Jesse Watters saying the defense team is 'catching undercover liberal activists lying to the judge' to get on the jury.

Here is a recap of the accusations against him.

Trump accused of violating gag order SEVEN more times and risks jailAttorneys for the Manhattan District Attorney's Office said the former president should be punished for sharing articles on social media.Mail Online11:49

RECAP: Man dies after setting himself on fire outside court, crying jurors and lawyers argue over evidence

Friday turned into one of the most dramatic days of Donald Trump's hush money trial.

Tragic and horrifying scenes unfolded outside the court when a man set himself on fire in a park across the street. He later died in hospital.

Inside court proceedings continued with jurors breaking down in tears and lawyers fighting over what evidence should be heard.

One prospective juror admitted to the court that she was an ex-con, and questioned if she was allowed to be considered.

Another said the whole trial was 'more stressful than I thought' and was sent home.

At the end of the day, prosecutors argued that Trump's $355million fraud fine and the E. Jean Carroll sex assault defamation ruling should be heard by the jurors.

Trump claims judge wants to rush case as day four ends with more dramaProsecutors also offered to reveal the name of their first witness to the defense off Sunday if they didn't tell Trump and stop the identity being 'tweeted'.Mail Online11:24

Will jurors get cold feet?

Twelve Manhattan residents have been selected to decide the fate of Donald Trump in the hush money trial.

They went through a rigorous process last week to ensure they would be impartial and fair when deciding if the former president is guilty or not guilty.

Now they have had the weekend to think over their selection, will they change their minds and tell the judge they can't move forward with the trial.

One juror dropped out last week after she got concerned that her family and friends already knew she was on the case.

Others have also dropped out because they felt overwhelmed by the anxiety and stress surrounding the trial.

Privacy of the jurors has also been a worry.

11:19

Donald Trump's historic hush money trial will hear 'dynamite evidence more devastating than Michael Cohen', lawyer claims

An NYU law professor believes that David Pecker, the former publisher of the National Enquirer, will provide 'dynamite evidence' against Donald Trump when he takes the stand on Monday morning.

It was revealed over the weekend in a New York Times report that Pecker would be the first witness called against the ex-president during his historic trial in Manhattan over allegations he participated in a hush money scheme ahead of the 2016 election.

'Pecker could be key witness - in ways more devastating than Michael Cohen .This also indicates DA is foregrounding unlawful election influence for jurors,' Professor Ron Goodman tweeted.

'Pecker's testimony should be strong proof of core allegation that the hush money scheme was geared toward influencing the outcome of the presidential election,' he added.

Trump's hush money trial will hear 'dynamite evidence', lawyer claimsIt was revealed over the weekend in a New York Times report that Pecker would be the first witness called against the ex-president during his historic trial.Mail Online11:10

Former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker set to take the witness stand

Once opening statements have finished, prosecutors are set to call David Pecker as their first witness.

Pecker is a central figure in the case after he alerted Trump's lawyer Michael Cohen about Stormy Daniels and her plan to reveal her claims of an alleged affair with Trump in 2006.

Pecker alerted Trump in October 2016 of Daniel's affair but she ultimately settled a $130,000 non-disclosure deal with Trump's lawyer Michael Cohen.

Pecker is expected to detail how he worked with Trump and his personal lawyer Michael Cohen to broker deals.

First witness identified in Donald Trump criminal trialFormer National Enquirer publisher David Pecker will be the first witness during the trial of former President Donald Trump in New York which resumes on Monday, according to the New York Times.Mail Online11:09

Welcome to DailyMail.com's coverage of opening statements of Donald Trump's hush money trial

Donald Trump's historic hush money trial in Manhattan kicks off on Monday with opening statements and could end with testimony from the first witness.

Prosecutors will lay out whether the 77-year-old hid a $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels to cover up their alleged affair in a bid to help him win the 2016 election.

Then Trump's legal team will tell the jury how they will defend the first former president in history to stand criminal trial.

Jury selection finished on Friday with 12 members on the full panel and six alternates.

Here are some details on who they are.

The 12 jurors picked in Trump's hush money trialBy the end of day thee of Donald Trump 's hush money trial, twelve prospective jurors had been seated and sworn in including one woman who described the ex-president as 'selfish.'Mail Online

TOP STORIES

• Trump lawyer Alina Habba rips into the fraud case as a 'complete waste of time and taxpayer money' as judge makes bombshell ruling over the $175 million bond
• Trump fumes as prosecutors say he 'orchestrated a criminal scheme to corrupt the 2016 election' and detail 'catch and kill' plot in blockbuster opening statements in hush money trial
• Trump shook his head in defiance while the jury locked eyes on the prosecutor: An inside court account of how the ex-president listened helplessly as attorneys detailed the salacious and lurid claims against him
• Prosecutors tease bombshell phone call between Trump and Michael Cohen about Karen McDougal's 'affair' claims that led to a $150,000 payment to 'silence' the Playboy model
• Trump was 'frugal' and a 'penny pincher' who paid Michael Cohen DOUBLE to cover up his 'affairs' prosecution tells court
• Judge makes bombshell ruling over Trump's $175 million bond
• Trump braces for opening statements and the first bombshell witness
• Trump braces for opening statements and the first bombshell witness in the hush money trial
• What a new US civil war could REALLY be like: Rebel generals defect to Trump after Biden outlaws 'terrorist' MAGA supporters... then Antifa start a 'kill whites' campaign. Far-right militias execute minorities. Anarchy erupts. Forget the movie...
• Donald Trump's hush money trial: Five things we learned from opening statements and the first witness
• While the world feasts over Trump trial, New Yorkers are sick of the circus that they say is killing business and turning courthouse into a tourist trap
• Prosecutors tease bombshell phone call between Trump and Michael Cohen
• Melania Trump pushes for 'equality for all' at $10K-a-ticket conservative LGBTQ fundraiser while her husband is in court: Former First lady makes rare foray into politics as the hush money trial kicks off
• How Trump and Michael Cohen were shown National Enquirer stories about 'Ted Cruz's infidelity and his 'links' to the JFK assassination' BEFORE they went to print: Prosecutors lay out 'deals' with publisher David Pecker
• Horror as 'researcher', 37,  sets himself on fire outside Trump trial in horrific 'political protest' after ranting about 'a revolution' online
• Lara Trump sets internet ablaze with response to podcast viewer who asked if she was 'as stupid as she appears to be'
• First witness who will testify in Donald Trump's hush money criminal trial is identified
• Trump tells Gen Z voters to direct their anger and blame Biden for bill that could see TikTok banned in the U.S. (four years after HE tried to do the same thing)
• Is Travis Kelce a Donald Trump voter? Fans spot Taylor Swift's boyfriend liking Sage Steele post celebrating meeting the former President after he re-shared the image on Truth Social
• Melania Trump will be Donald's 'rock' during the trial... but will she take the stand? Insiders reveal how she's 'furious' her husband has mentioned Barron but thinks the hush money case is a DISGRACE
• Trump's historic hush money trial will hear 'dynamite evidence more devastating than Michael Cohen', lawyer claims as the trial gets underway today with National Enquirer's David Pecker slated to be the first witness
• Trump calls Letitia James the 'worst attorney general in the country' and slams her for saying his $175 million fraud bond 'isn't good' ahead of huge hearing
• Hillary Clinton claims Trump wants to 'KILL his opposition' like Putin and Kim Jong Un in wild rant pleading for Americans to vote for Biden - but admits the president, 81, IS old
• Lauren Sanchez 'begged Kellyanne Conway for help with her public image when they met at a party' - as former Trump advisor's surprising reply is revealed
• Alan Dershowitz reveals why Trump has drawn 'a bad jury' for his New York hush money trial and reveals what the most likely outcome will be
• John Legend goes scorched earth on Trump and reveals why he thinks the former president is a 'tried and true, dyed-in-the-wool racist'
• Donald Trump Jr. says ex-wife Vanessa was afraid of Diddy and doesn't believe his long-term girlfriend Kim Porter died of pneumonia
• 'They wouldn't just eat any white men that fell from the sky': Outraged Papua New Guinea academics lash out at Biden's 'unacceptable' suggestion that cannibals ate his WW2 pilot uncle
• Haunting words of conspiracy theorist Max Azzarello claiming he was protester who set himself on fire outside Trump trial are posted online just hours before horror self-immolation - as dozens of his pamphlets are dropped at the scene
• 'F***ing with us on Barron's graduation' is a mistake': How the Trump campaign is weaponizing 'hush money' trial with fundraising emails and attacks on everything from the judge to 'disgusting' court bathrooms
• Trump forced to CANCEL North Carolina rally by thunderstorm, sending thousands of people home: After week stuck in court now the weather conspires to keep former president from campaigning
• REVEALED: Maxwell Azzarello's unhinged posts about Taylor Swift before he set himself alight outside Trump's hush money trial in NYC
• Beau Lamarre-Condon: Chilling details emerge of accused killer cop's mental state as 'rot sets in' for celebrity chaser accused of murdering Jesse Baird and Luke Davies
• Inside the Arizona town where a ruthless gang of teens ran amok: 'Gilbert Goons' had parents terrified to send their kids to school before beating death of Preston Lord
• Experts say soda addict Donald Trump 'falling asleep' in court could've been due to a caffeine crash - because he was without his beloved Diet Cokes
• 'Boy in the attic's' mom's harrowing final words before she died of a broken heart are revealed - as body of her 12-year-old is finally found four years after he went missing
• What I discovered about the real Taylor Swift when I visited her £40m home: The superfan invited into her house reveals the star's secret doors hidden in bookcases and what she keeps in the toilet
• Two people dead after house inferno in east London: Six fire engines and around 40 firefighters raced to blaze as probe is launched
• Catherine Zeta-Jones' mini-me daughter Carys slips into her mom's 25-year-old silk-and-lace dress as she celebrates her 21st birthday
• Curse of the Gettys strikes again: This Coronation Street star's son married one of the world's richest women in the 'most extravagant wedding ever' and turned her into an unlikely fan of British TV. Now it's all fallen apart...
• The 'dine and dash' playbook exposed: How couple wanted over string of 'food thefts' across Wales 'pretend they can't pay their large bills by card, ask where the nearest cashpoint is - then do a runner'
• Author sparks FURY after branding Taylor Swift a 'billionaire racist' and a 'NAZI Barbie' in vitriolic rant - while slamming star for not mentioning Palestine in her 'vapid, rotted' songs on The Tortured Poets Department
• Newly-single Isla Fisher gets back to work as she films new movie Jays Kelly with George Clooney in the UK following shock split from Sacha Baron Cohen after 14-years of marriage
• Yobs armed with catapults terrorise a quiet Surrey village - and have even targeted a FUNERAL in latest outrage after previously blinding and maiming swans
• Turkish dental surgeon screwed tooth implant into father's BRAIN cavity in horrific blunder - then dumped him at a hospital and fled
• Rwanda Bill is FINALLY passed by the House of Lords with unelected peers bowing to MPs after months of wrangling... so now can Rishi Sunak get deportation flights in the air by July?
• All-change for Harry and Meghan as they bring in former sweets PR man as UK contact and ex United Talent Agency ace to their comms team in new shake-up
• Putin won't stop at the Polish border, Rishi Sunak warns as he pledges an extra £500 million in military aid to Ukraine
• The serial 'dine-and-dashers': Couple who 'left without paying' £329 bill at Italian restaurant after tucking into steaks and 15 bottles of pop are wanted for string of 'fast food thefts' over past year
• Boy, 15, is thrown from stolen car and killed near Parliament house after several 'fail to stop for police' incidents
• Wild footage from spring break gathering along Savannah beach shows topless women fighting and mounds of trash being washed into the ocean
• I won a five-star £2k holiday on TV show Tipping Point but then they wouldn't let me go... I was heartbroken
• Primary school teacher, 50, pretended she had COVID after killing cheating boyfriend during sex game - and used 10 day isolation from 'illness' to bury him in the backyard, court hears
• Russia suspected of targeting thousands of British holiday flights in 'extremely dangerous' electronic attacks jamming systems including GPS
• Meghan Markle's Suits friend Abigail Spencer beams with joy in Instagram post holding the Duchess's new jam nestling a fruit bowl... as fans scoff 'This is hilarious!'
• Bill Gates' billionaire ex wife Melinda flashes a HUGE new diamond ring on engagement finger after private helicopter ride… as she finds happiness following split from the Microsoft founder
• Kind-hearted Aussies give touching gift to Ash Good's miracle baby who survived Westfield Bondi Junction stabbing attack
• Perth, Australia: Heartbreaking new details emerge about 10-year-old boy who took own life
• Millionaire who made himself homeless and broke on purpose to prove he could make $1MILLION in 12 months for YouTube clicks QUITS his bizarre social experiment over health concerns
• Rebel Wilson says member of the royal family who was '15th or 20th in line to the throne' invited her to drug-fuelled orgy at home of US tech billionaire in 2014
• Melissa McCarthy defends her 'wonderful' and 'inspiring' friend Meghan Markle amid criticism of American Riviera Orchard: The Duchess of Sussex's Hollywood BFF says a 'smart woman with her own life is incredibly threatening to some people'
• Grief-stricken Warwick Davis sparks concern among fans as he makes late night online post declaring 'I'm done here. Signing off' with a broken heart symbol after the death of his beloved wife Samantha
• Has the Rainey Street ripper struck again? Fresh fears of Texas serial killer as two more bodies are found
• Parliamentary researcher, 29, is charged with spying for China: GP's public school boy son is charged alongside man, 32, for offence under Official Secrets Act after probe by counter terror cops
• Ship which defied Nazi U-boats to transport vital resources during World War II to be scrapped and replaced with slavery reflection room in Liverpool
• Forbes, NSW: Molly Ticehurst, mum of a little boy, is found dead at her home and a man is charged with her murder
• Rep. Ilhan Omar's daughter Isra Hirsi, 21, says she is now homeless and starving after being suspended from college over anti-Israel protests at Columbia University which saw her zip-tied for seven hours
• Huw Edwards resigns from £439,000-a-year BBC News at Ten role on 'medical advice' nine months after he was suspended over sex pics scandal: 40-year veteran gets NO payoff - but was being paid in full
• Inside the bloody ambush of two Kansas moms as chilling new details reveal how mother-in-law and her God's Misfits gang members 'lured them to their deaths' using burner phones, stun guns and a bulldozer
• Sir Keir's patriotism problem: One-in-eight Labour voters (and one-in-12 Lib Dems) think the St George's Cross is 'RACIST and divisive and should NOT be displayed' - as Tories accuse Starmer's party of 'hating Britain'
• Brit, 22, plunges to his death from fifth-floor hotel balcony during holiday with girlfriend, 33, in Turkey
• Welcome to Britain's strictest estate: How neighbours have to follow a 32-page handbook of rules which bans hanging up washing on a Sunday and demands gates are painted black to maintain its 'charm'
• Historic moment first memorial statue to the late Queen is unveiled on what would have been her 98th birthday - featuring her beloved Corgis at her heels as real-life owners of the breed mass to pay their respects
• Why this single photo of an Australian suburb has sparked a huge debate about the future of our country
• The flooded housewives of Dubai: Chanel underwater, supercars swept away and mega-basements submerged. CAROLINE STANBURY tells how all the money in the world could not save the influencer set from apocalyptic rain
• Jailed FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried turns on his celebrity endorsers including Tom Brady, Gisele Bundchen and Larry David and agrees to help crypto victims in class-action lawsuit against them
• Highpoint, Melbourne: Australia is rocked by ANOTHER shopping centre stabbing - as wild brawl erupts in front of horrified onlookers
• Gogglebox star George Gilbey's cause of death revealed: TV personality, 40, died from 'traumatic' head injuries after he fell 80ft through a plastic skylight on a building job, inquest hears
• Friends give update on heartbroken police officer whose fiancee was killed in Westfield rampage weeks before their wedding
• Stomach-churning moment sewage overflows from mother's toilet - leaving her with a £30,000 bill and an 'uninhabitable' house
• Defund Columbia: Robert Kraft pulls his money as other donors blast 'f*****g crazy' anti-Israel mob but staff join students' campus protest in spiraling crisis
• Inside secret billionaire retreats that are SO exclusive even the the CEO of Goldman Sachs is a mere 'third tier guest' and if you have to ask, you're not invited
• 'Dine-and-dash' family-of-eight tuck into huge meal of expensive steaks, double desserts and 15 bottles of pop at Italian restaurant - before 'leaving without paying' £329 bill
• Arj Barker: Furious backlash as top comedian kicks breastfeeding mum and her baby out of his Melbourne Comedy Festival
• Nathan Templeton death: Revelations emerge about Sunrise reporter's secret life as TV reporter is farewelled by hundreds including Sam Armytage and Natalie Barr
• Trish was furious when she was asked to leave Arj Barker's comedy gig... but this chaotic interview with Sarah Harris proves he may have been right...
• Head teacher announces plans to introduce 12-hour school day which will see pupils arrive at 7am and leave at 7pm in a bid to break their 'phone addictions'
• Trans athlete wins shot-put by more than THREE FEET as middle school girls stage 'step out' protest and refuse to compete against her - days after she won court battle to overturn West Virginia transgender laws
• Cougars in the classroom: The alarming rate of teachers charged with raping young boys in America
• Alex Jones is 'partying pretty hard' in Texan desert town dubbed America's 'last outpost for outcasts' - where bankrupt despite still owing Sandy Hook families $1 BILLION
• Tourist dies after plunging 250ft into crater of active volcano in Indonesia 'while posing for sunrise pictures'