Trump shakes his head as prosecutors say he ‘orchestrated a criminal scheme to corrupt the 2016 election’ and details the ‘catch and kill’ plot in blockbuster opening statement in the hush money trial

Donald Trump orchestrated a criminal plot to ‘corrupt’ the 2016 presidential election and then tried to cover it up, prosecutors alleged at the start of his blockbuster hush money trial in New York.

Trump shook his head as he was accused of lying ‘over and over and over again’ to conceal the alleged scheme to buy the silence of porn star Stormy Daniels with a $130,000 payment.

Prosecutor Matthew Colangelo told a packed Manhattan courtroom: ‘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.

‘Then he covered up that criminal conspiracy by lying in his New York business records over and over and over again.’

He added: ‘It was election fraud, pure and simple.’

It came after Judge Juan Merchan spent 30 minutes giving instructions to the jury, telling them Trump was ‘presumed innocent.’ 

He told them: ‘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.’ 

Trump is the first ever former U.S. president to be a defendant in a criminal trial.

He has pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records, which caries a possible maximum four-year jail sentence.

The charges relate to a hush money scheme aimed at preventing damaging stories about his personal life, including an alleged affair with Daniels, from becoming public before the 2016 election.

Hearing the case is a jury of five women and seven men. It includes two corporate lawyers, a security engineer, an investment banker and a speech therapist.

Trump walked in at the head of his defense team, shoulders slightly stooped. He took his seat at the front of the court, facing a wall of 20ft high wood paneling, inscribed with ‘In God We Trust.’ 

The former president, wearing a navy suit and light blue tie, sat at the defense table with his lawyer Todd Blanche, briefly shaking his head and laughing to himself. 

The courtroom on the 15th floor of the Manhattan Criminal Court was packed with journalists and members of the public. 

Six rows of journalists were 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.

Aides accompanying Trump in court included Natalie Harp, Karoline Leavitt and Jason Miller.

Before the jury was brought in Judge Merchan ruled that prosecutors could question him about a $364 million fine recently handed down to him in a separate civil business fraud case.

That led Trump to shake his head in clear frustration.

 The opening statements are expected to give jurors and the voting public the clearest view yet of the allegations at the heart of the case.

Attorneys will also introduce a colorful cast of characters who are expected to testify about the saga.

They include Daniels, former playboy model Karen McDougal, and the key witness Michael Cohen, Trump’s former ‘fxer’.

The first witness is expected top be David Pecker, the former chief executive of tabloid publisher American Media.

Trump arrived at the courthouse shortly before 9am minutes after castigating the case in capital letters on social media.

He called it “election interference” and a “witch hunt.”

Being convicted would not bar Trump from becoming president again.

However, because it is a state case he would not be able to attempt to pardon himself if found guilty.

The trial will require him to spend weeks in a courtroom rather than on the campaign trail.

Writing on Truth Social shortly before arriving at court he complained about being “stuck” in the trial.

He will be forcedto listen as witnesses recount salacious and potentially unflattering details about his private life.

Trump has sought to turn his criminal defendant status into an asset for his campaign.

He has been using it to fundraise and to railing against a justice system he claims is weaponized against him.

The case brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.