Mr. Trump appeared in court, becoming the first former US President to be criminally tried

Mr. Trump at the trial in New York on April 15

AFP news agency reported on April 15 that former US President Donald Trump appeared in court in Manhattan (New York City, New York State, USA), becoming the first former president in US history to appear in court to face trial for a criminal case.

"This is political persecution," he told reporters, adding that the trial was "an attack on America", before entering the courtroom in a blue suit and red tie.

The former president then strode into the courtroom, passing nine rows of wooden benches with a stern look on his face, followed by his legal team.

Mr. Trump is required to attend a trial that is expected to last into May. Jury selection is expected to take about a week, followed by witness testimony.

He is accused of falsifying business records in a plot to cover up an alleged affair with adult film actress Stormy Daniels to protect his 2016 campaign from last-minute turmoil.

At the hearing, Judge Juan Merchan rejected Mr. Trump’s request to replace the judge. Previously, Mr. Trump requested a different judge because Mr. Merchan’s daughter worked for a political consulting firm with Democratic Party clients, so there was a conflict of interest.

The hush money case is one of four criminal cases he faces, including prosecutions for allegedly conspiring to overthrow the results of the 2020 US presidential election.

If convicted in the hush money case, Mr Trump could face years in prison, but observers say that is unlikely.

Still, the prospect of Mr Trump becoming a convicted felon makes the US presidential election in November all the more unpredictable.

His campaign released a video depicting Mr Trump as looking like a president and warning his supporters that "they want to take away my freedom because I will never let them take away your freedom".

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