Donald Trump is set to become the first former US president to stand criminal trial, marking an unprecedented moment in American history. His trial in New York on Monday involves charges of falsifying business records related to hush money payments made during the 2016 campaign. If convicted, Trump could face jail time, a major test of the US justice system and checks on presidential power. The trial stems from payments made by Trump's former lawyer, Michael Cohen, to Stormy Daniels to silence her about an alleged sexual encounter with Trump.