Trump's Stormy Daniels payoff trial hinges on his intent

New York, NY - April 18 : Former President Donald Trump speaks with attorney Todd Blanche as they return from a lunch break at Manhattan criminal court as jury selection continues in New York, NY on Thursday, April 18, 2024. Trump faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records as part of an alleged scheme to silence claims of extramarital sexual encounters during his 2016 presidential campaign. Jabin Botsford/Pool via REUTERS

NEW YORK (Reuters) - At Donald Trump's criminal trial, there is no dispute about a central underlying fact: the month before the 2016 presidential election, his personal lawyer and fixer paid a porn star for her silence about an alleged sexual encounter with Trump.

Legal experts say the outcome of the first-ever trial of a former U.S. president hinges on Trump's intent.