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Donald Trump described the hush money case against him as an “assault on America” as he arrived at court in New York ahead of his historic trial.

The former US president is accused of criminally altering business records to cover up a $130,000 (£104,200) payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels, real name Stephanie Clifford, during his 2016 election campaign.

Ms Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal, who was paid $150,000 (£120,000), both claim to have had affairs with Trump.

His lawyers say the payment was meant to spare himself and his family embarrassment, not to help him win the election.

Speaking as he arrived at the Manhattan court, Trump said: “Nothing like this has ever happened before. It should never been brought.

Donald Trump  sits in Manhattan Criminal Court in New York.
Pic: Reuters
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Donald Trump sits in Manhattan Criminal Court in New York.
Pic: Reuters

“It’s an assault on America. An assault on our country. A country that’s failing.

“It’s an attack on a political opponent, that’s all it is. So I’m very proud to be here.”

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The key figures in the Donald Trump hush money case

Pic: AP
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Pic: AP

Trump then continued to attack US President Joe Biden and repeated claims that the trial is political persecution, saying: “It’s a country that’s run by an incompetent man who is very much involved in this case.”

Before proceedings began Judge Juan M Merchan denied a request by the defence to recuse himself from the case.

Defence lawyers had renewed a motion from last summer arguing that an interview Mr Merchan gave to the media, his daughter’s work at a political consultancy firm and his daughter’s social media activity created a conflict of interest that merited recusal.

Donald Trump .
Pic: Reuters
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Pic: Reuters

But Mr Merchan said Trump had “failed to provide” evidence of a conflict and instead relied on a “series of inferences [and] innuendos”.

“Defendant’s second motion for recusal is denied,” the judge ruled in court.

He added that he will not yet rule on Trump’s request to skip the trial on 17 May in order to attend his son’s high school graduation.

“It really depends on if we are on time and where we are in the trial,” Mr Merchan said.

People hold placards against Former U.S. President Donald Trump on the day of his hush money criminal trial, in New York City, U.S., April 15, 2024. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid
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People hold placards against Trump. Pic: Reuters

The trial begins with the selection of the jury, which Sky News’ US partner network, NBC, said could take up to two weeks because of the large pool of prospective jurors.

Both the defence and prosecution agreed to a “hybrid” approach to the selection process, involving jurors being asked separate questions – one about conflicts with the trial, and another on whether jurors identify as impartial or unbiased.

Mr Merchan said the process – first requested by Trump’s lawyers – would not delay anything.

Around 200 Trump supporters gathered outside the courthouse as well as roughly 40 other individuals who were protesting against the former president.

Donald Trump at Manhattan criminal court with his legal team ahead of the start of jury selection
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Trump with his legal team ahead of the start of jury selection. Pic: Reuters

One group of demonstrators carried a banner that read, “no one is above the law”.

Monday’s proceedings mark the first of four indictments against the former president to go to trial, and is the first to be held ahead of this year’s presidential election.

Trump faces two other criminal trials accusing him of trying to subvert his 2020 election loss to Mr Biden, and another that accuses him of mishandling classified information after he left the White House in 2021.

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He has pleaded not guilty to all charges against him. No other former US president has ever faced criminal charges.

Michael Cohen, Trump’s former personal lawyer, said he co-ordinated with Trump on payments to Ms Daniels and to Ms McDougal.

Cohen pleaded guilty to campaign finance violations in 2018 in relation to the payments and was sentenced to three years in prison. He was released into house arrest after one year.

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Mike Waltz’s ‘Signalgate’ mistake weakened Trump – so why isn’t Pete Hegseth also getting fired?

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Mike Waltz's 'Signalgate' mistake weakened Trump - so why isn't Pete Hegseth also getting fired?

Timing’s everything for Donald Trump.  

The time for sacking Mike Waltz was, clearly, not before the 100-day milestone – the measure of his performance in office.

The national security adviser had his card marked from the day the ‘Signalgate’ scandal broke.

Trump latest: Waltz ‘leaving White House’ hours after TV appearance

In any other government, at any other time, political expediency would have demanded his immediate sacking.

To have shared sensitive military information on a group chat is a most reckless error of judgement.

Bad enough that the information reached the inbox of a US journalist – who knows who else might have accessed the information in what is a commercially available app? China, Russia? Iran, the very country that backs the Houthi rebels who were under attack?

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Initially, Donald Trump defended Waltz as a “good man” who had “learned a lesson”. The president will have known, though, that he’s a man who has fundamentally weakened him.

Waltz’s mistake put the lives of US service personnel at risk and called into question the credibility of his ultimate boss.

The emoji-laden group chat read like the stuff of excited youngsters breathlessly sharing gossip.

It was recklessness over responsibility at the heart of government, and it reflected on the commander-in-chief and his judgement in appointing Waltz in the first place.

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‘Nobody was texting war plans’ – Hegseth

To keep him in post for weeks following the scandal looked like an acceptance, of sorts, and it didn’t look good. If there are questions about the circumstances surrounding Waltz, there are, too, about Trump’s defence secretary, Pete Hegseth.

Hegseth was also part of the Signalgate group chat and more.

Separately, he shared messages on Signal with his wife and brother about military strikes. Both are involved with the Pentagon, but are nowhere near the security clearance typically required to access that kind of detail.

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If Waltz committed a sackable offence, why didn’t Hegseth?

It’s a question that won’t go away.

The answer, I suspect, is that Donald Trump invested considerable political capital in forcing Hegseth into position, in spite of strong opposition.

In a story that acknowledges weakness at the heart of government, Donald Trump has his limits.

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US and Ukraine sign deal to establish investment fund

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US and Ukraine sign deal to establish investment fund

The US Treasury has announced it has agreed to establish an American-Ukrainian reconstruction investment fund.

For Ukraine, the economic deal was seen as possibly key to ensuring its access to future US military aid in its war against Russia.

President Trump had previously called for Kyiv to compensate Washington for billions of dollars in assistance to help repel the Kremlin’s forces.

A senior Ukrainian official said on Wednesday the US will make “direct financial contributions” to the fund and “may also provide new assistance” such as air defence systems for Ukraine.

In return the US is set to get preferential access any new deals concerning Ukraine’s mineral resources.

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, right, and President Donald Trump, talk as they attend the funeral of Pope Francis in Vatican, Saturday, April 26, 2025.(Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP)
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President Trump and President Zelenskyy met before the Pope’s funeral last weekend. Pic: Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP

Trump latest: Deal shows Trump ‘committed to free Ukraine’

The US Treasury said “in recognition of the significant financial and material support” the US has provided to the “defence of Ukraine… this economic partnership positions our two countries to work collaboratively and invest together to… accelerate Ukraine’s economic recovery”.

US treasury secretary Scott Bessent said: “This agreement signals clearly to Russia that the Trump administration is committed to a peace process centered on a free, sovereign, and prosperous Ukraine over the long term.”

He also said “this partnership allows the US to invest alongside Ukraine, to unlock Ukraine’s growth assets, mobilise American talent, capital and governance standards that will improve Ukraine’s investment climate and accelerate Ukraine’s economic recovery”.

Donald Trump indicated in February he wanted access to Ukraine’s rare earth materials, describing it as reimbursement for the billions of dollars in aid the US has given to Kyiv.

But talks stalled after a heated Oval Office meeting between him and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and reaching an agreement since then has proven difficult amid strained relations between Washington and Kyiv.

Trump is closer to ending Ukraine war than ever before

They are calling this a “reconstruction investment fund” but it gives the US access to things like graphite, aluminium, oil and gas.

The White House has confirmed this is indeed the oft-referenced “minerals deal”, and it will pay dividends in various ways.

Economically it allows the US to say they are clawing back the billions of dollars it has offered in military aid to Ukraine.

Politically, by having an investment on the ground, it allows Donald Trump to claim he’s giving Volodymyr Zelenskyy the security guarantees he’s sought for so long.

It is the latest chapter in a remarkable story.

The jaw-dropping showdown between Mr Trump and Mr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office at the end of February, when the US was seemingly suggesting Ukraine was somehow responsible for the Russian invasion, redefined old allegiances in real time before our very eyes, to the shock of other world leaders.

Then last weekend, we saw the two men again seated together just feet apart at St Peter’s Basilica in Rome at the funeral of Pope Francis, closing the gap both literally and politically.

Mr Trump vowed to end the war in Ukraine on his first day in office. On his 101st day, he’s closer to doing that than he ever has been before.

Why is US interested in Ukraine’s raw materials?

The US is seeking access to over 20 raw materials seen as strategically critical to its interests, including some non-minerals such as oil and natural gas.

Among them are Ukraine’s deposits of titanium, which is used for making aircraft wings and other aerospace manufacturing, and uranium, that is used for nuclear power, medical equipment and weapons.

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Trump and Zelenskyy’s body language analysed

Ukraine also has lithium, graphite and manganese, which are used in electric vehicle batteries.

On Wednesday, Ukraine’s first deputy prime minister Yulia Svyrydenko said she had signed the agreement in Washington DC to create the investment fund.

She wrote on X: “Together with the United States, we are creating the fund that will attract global investment into our country.

“Its implementation allows both countries to expand their economic potential through equal cooperation and investment.

“The United States will contribute to the fund. In addition to direct financial contributions, it may also provide new assistance – for example air defence systems for Ukraine.”

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The announcement comes as the Trump administration is pushing to stop the war, which erupted in February 2022 when Russia launched a full-scale invasion.

Russian President Vladimir Putin backs calls for a ceasefire before peace negotiations, “but before it’s done, it’s necessary to answer a few questions and sort out a few nuances,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said.

Mr Putin is also ready for direct talks with Ukraine without preconditions to seek a peace deal, he added.

On Monday, the Russian leader declared there would be a three-day ceasefire from 8 May to 10 May.

Mr Zelenskyy wants an immediate ceasefire lasting at least 30 days.

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Donald Trump celebrates 100 days in office with campaign-style rally

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Donald Trump celebrates 100 days in office with campaign-style rally

Donald Trump has celebrated the 100th day of his second term with a campaign-style rally in Michigan.

During his 90-minute speech the US president mocked Joe Biden, falsely claimed he won the 2020 presidential election and defended his decision to impose tariffs on countries around the world.

Speaking in front of electronic screens reading “100 days of greatness”, Mr Trump attacked “radical left lunatics”, briefly took on a heckler and boasted about his administration’s “mass deportation” efforts.

“Removing the invaders is not just a campaign pledge,” he said. “It’s my solemn duty as commander-in-chief. I have an obligation to save our country.”

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He played a video of migrants his administration claims are gang members arriving at a notorious prison in El Salvador, with those in the crowd cheering the images of deportees having their heads shaved.

During his speech, during which he called up several of his top team to the stage, Mr Trump claimed his administration has delivered “most profound change in Washington in nearly 100 years”.

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100 days of Donald Trump

Mr Trump also briefly touched on tariffs, saying China, which is facing tariffs of 145%, “has taken more jobs from us than any country has ever taken from another country”.

President Donald Trump arrives to speak after his first 100 days in office.
Pic: AP/Alex Brandon
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Pic: AP

But he said his tariffs did not mean Beijing and Washington cannot “get along” and said he thought a trade deal with China was near, adding: “But it’s going to be a fair deal.”

“I think it’s going to work out,” he says. “They want to make a deal. We’re going to make a deal. But it’s going to be a fair deal.”

Donald Trump. Pic: AP
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Donald Trump speaking in Michigan. Pic: AP

Donald Trump dances at the end of his rally. Pic: Reuters
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Mr Trump dances at the end of his rally. Pic: Reuters

He claimed his administration had “already ended inflation”, but last month the Bureau of Labor Statistics said while inflation slowed in March over the past year, it had in fact risen 2.4%.

Read more:
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‘You haven’t seen anything yet’

Mr Trump, who has frequently criticised Federal Reserve chair Jay Powell in recent weeks, said: “Interest rates came down, despite the fact that I have a Fed person who’s not really doing a good job, but I won’t say that. I want to be very nice. I want to be very nice and respectful to the Fed.

“You’re not supposed to criticise the Fed. You’re supposed to let him do his own thing. But I know much more than he does about interest rates, believe me.”

Mr Trump also defended his administration’s steep tariffs on cars and car parts, hours after he signed an executive order aimed at easing the impact of his tariffs on US carmakers.

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“We’re here tonight in the heartland of our nation to celebrate the most successful first 100 days of any administration in the history of our country,” Mr Trump said.

He later added: “We’ve just gotten started. You haven’t even seen anything yet.”

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