TERESA PRIOLO IN FOR STEVE, AND I'M NATASHA VERMA. >> THE PROSECUTION TELLING JURORS THAT TRUMP ORCHESTRATED A CRIMINAL SCHEME TO CORRUPT THE 2016 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION BY USING HUSH MONEY TO STOP DAMAGING STORIES ABOUT HIM FROM GETTING PUBLISHED. >> THE DEFENSE, HOWEVER, HAS INSISTED THAT TRUMP DID NOT COMMIT ANY CRIMES. FOX FIVE'S MORGAN MCKAY IS LIVE OUTSIDE OF CRIMINAL COURT IN LOWER MANHATTAN, WITH MORE ON HOW EACH SIDE PRESENTED ITS CASE TODAY. MORGAN >> THERESA AND NATASHA. FOR THE FIRST TIME, ALL 18 JURORS GATHERED TOGETHER TO WITNESS OPENING STATEMENTS IN THE CRIMINAL TRIAL OF FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP. YOU COULD SENSE A NERVOUSNESS COMING FROM THIS GROUP OF NEW YORKERS AS THEIR EYES DARTED BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN TRUMP AND THE PRESS. NOW, THE PROSECUTION ARGUED THAT THIS IS A CRIMINAL CONSPIRACY AND A COVER UP, WHILE THE DEFENSE ARGUED THAT TRUMP WAS MERELY PAYING HIS LAWYER. >> AND THIS IS WHAT THEY TRY AND TAKE ME OFF THE TRAIL FOR. >> FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP WAS FURIOUS AS HE LEFT COURT ON THE OFFICIAL FIRST DAY OF HIS CRIMINAL TRIAL AND VENTED TO REPORTERS IN THE HALLWAY FOR ABOUT NINE MINUTES WITHOUT TAKING QUESTIONS. THE JURY STAYED FOCUSED ON MONDAY AS THE PROSECUTION STARTED THEIR OPENING STATEMENTS. PROSECUTOR MATTHEW COLANGELO KICKED OFF HIS REMARKS WITH THIS QUOTE 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, COLANGELO LAID OUT THE PROSECUTION'S CASE THAT TRUMP COOKED UP A SCHEME WITH HIS FORMER LAWYER, MICHAEL COHEN, AND OTHERS TO CATCH POSSIBLY DAMAGING STORIES IN ORDER TO SQUASH THEM AHEAD OF THE 2016 ELECTION. AND THEN TRUMP MISLABELED THESE HUSH MONEY PAYMENTS AS LEGAL SERVICES LAWYER ARTHUR AIDALA, ON GOOD DAY THIS MORNING HIGHLIGHTED THE BURDEN OF PROOF WILL BE UP TO THE PROSECUTION IN THIS CASE. >> IT'S NOT AN EASY CASE FOR EITHER SIDE, AND THAT'S WHY IT'S GOING TO BE A GREAT TRIAL. >> THE DEFENSE WAS UP NEXT AND TODD BLANCH OPENED UP HIS REMARKS WITH THIS QUOTE. PRESIDENT TRUMP IS INNOCENT. PRESIDENT TRUMP DID NOT COMMIT ANY CRIMES. THE MANHATTAN DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE SHOULD NEVER HAVE BROUGHT THIS CASE. BLANCH EXPLAINED THAT HE WAS EMPHASIZING PRESIDENT OUT OF RESPECT FOR THE OFFICE TRUMP HELD. HE ALSO MENTIONED TRUMP'S REELECTION AT LEAST TWICE. BLANCH LAID INTO THE PROSECUTION'S KEY WITNESS, MICHAEL COHEN, TELLING THE JURY THAT COHEN IS NOT TO BE TRUSTED. BLANCH ALSO ARGUED THAT IT'S NOT A CRIME TO TRY TO INFLUENCE AN ELECTION. AN ALL TRUMP DID WAS PAY HIS LAWYER. COHEN, TRUMP'S ATTORNEY ALINA HABBA, OUTSIDE THE COURTROOM. >> YOU HIRE A LAWYER TO SOLVE PROBLEMS. LAWYERS SOLVE THOSE PROBLEMS, YOU PAY THEM. THAT'S IT. FORMER PRESIDENTS VIOLATED THE GAG ORDER. >> NOW, DAVID PECKER, THE FORMER PUBLISHER OF THE NATIONAL ENQUIRER, TOOK THE WITNESS STAND FOR ABOUT 15 MINUTES BEFORE THE TRIAL BROKE EARLY TODAY.
