historic the first criminal trial of an ex-president.

When you're a star, they let you do it.

You can do anything.

Donald Trump off the campaign trail and in the courtroom.

I am going to jail because of my decision

to help Mr. Trump.

They made it sound like I had no choice.

A tabloid case shaping the election.

We cannot and will not normalize serious criminal conduct.

MS NBC's special Trump on trial starts now.

Good evening, I'm Ari Melber here MSMBC Headquarters where our all-star lineup is covering

his first criminal trial of a former president, Rachel Maddo, Jen Saki, Nicole Wallace,

Alex Wagner, Chris Hayes, and later Joy Reed, Stephanie Rule and

Lawrence O'Donnell all with us. Today is the first time Donald Trump sat as

a defendant for the actual start of any criminal trial.

We are past indictments, arraignments, all those pretrial motions,

and the many, many failed attempts by Trump and his lawyers to delay this judgment day today in New York.

He lost those efforts and this defense table is not where he wanted to be today.

But Manhattan, D.A. Alvin Bragg has now achieved results

where other prosecutors were thwarted.

Bragg taking a campaign year cover up

and charging it as a felony plot.

...