Trump on trial: 'Attack on America'. And Kennedy Jr. refuses to be his deputy

Trump appeared in court in New York in the case of the payment to porn star Stormy Daniels, the first criminal trial for a former US president. 'It's an attack on America,' thunders the tycoon. And he accuses: the judge 'is very confrontational' and 'I will not be given a fair trial'. Robert Kennedy Jr., meanwhile, says he turned down Trump's offer to run for the White House as his deputy.

'Two bags of rubbish'. The appellation with which Donald Trump addressed the two key witnesses in the trial against him that opened in New York is enough to understand the tone of the spectacle that the United States is about to witness. A historic event - no former American president has ever faced criminal proceedings and it is only the first of four for the tycoon - and destined to create a stir not only because of porn star Stormy Daniels' revelations about their affair but also because The Donald has announced that he will take the stand to tell 'his truth'. This trial is an 'attack on America' and a 'political persecution'. And, again, 'nothing like this has ever happened before'. These were the first words spoken by the former president as he entered the Manhattan courthouse for the start of the proceedings against him.

Trump is charged with 34 counts, namely falsifying business records to conceal a $130,000 payment to the actress and hardcore director in 2016 so that he would not reveal their relationship. In addition to Daniels, the other highlight testimony will be that Michael Cohen, Trump's former personal lawyer and fixer who physically wrote the cheques for porn star and Playboy bunny Karen McDougal and then, according to prosecutor Alvin Bragg, was reimbursed by the tycoon's company that passed off the payments as legal fees.

"I will testify and tell the truth. And the truth is that I have committed no crime,' Trump said a few days ago, attacking Daniels and Cohen - 'they are two liars' - and the justice system that 'persecutes' him. Unlike the other proceedings against the former president - the one for attempting to subvert the result of the election won by Joe Biden in Georgia, instigating the attack on Capitol Hill on 6 January 2021 and mishandling classified papers - this is the only one that could be closed by November, i.e. before the elections, and is therefore considered the most significant for the former president's future. The tycoon's lawyers are hoping for a full acquittal but should he be found guilty each count carries a maximum of four years in prison.

The question most Americans are asking at this point is: "If Trump were to be found guilty, could he still run for president?" And the answer is not only that the tycoon could still run for the White House but also that, by the US Constitution, he could even lead the United States from prison. It is clear that at the moment this is a hypothetical scenario and it is highly likely that if convicted his opponents will try to impeach him or challenge his presidency.