Trump braces for historic first criminal trial: Ex-president leaves Trump Tower and heads to Manhattan court for the start of blockbuster Stormy Daniels hush-money case after ranting about 'rigged' case and 'corrupt judge'

​​Donald Trump left his Trump Tower home on Monday to prepare for the start of jury selection in his historic first criminal trial.

Before leaving to make the four-mile drive downtown, Trump went on a social media rant where he accused Democrats of using the hush money case as a political weapon to keep him sitting in a courtroom and spending money instead of being out on the campaign trail.

The 77-year-old will appear in Manhattan criminal courthouse for day one of the trial as jury selection commences in the historic criminal prosecution of a former president who is currently running for another term in 2024.

The case stems from allegation the former president falsified business records in payments made to porn star Stormy Daniels to keep quiet about their affair comes

Just hours ahead of the trial kicking-off on Monday, he took to Truth Social to rail about all aspects of the case and lamented he was stripped of his voice after he was put under a gag order. 

He also said Democrats' involvement in bringing the series of lawsuits against him is a way of interfering in the 2024 presidential election and preventing him from campaigning.

Trump will appear in court on Monday in Manhattan for day one of the case where he stands charged with falsifying business records in relation to his 'hush money' payment to porn star Stormy Daniels to keep quiet about their affair before the 2016 presidential election.

Jury selection for the case begins on Monday and prospective jurors will be asked at least 42 questions ranging from their views on extreme groups like Antifa and QAnon and how they consume their news.

Meanwhile, both pro and anti-Trump demonstrators gathered outside the Manhattan courthouse on Monday morning.

'The Radical Left Democrats are already cheating on the 2024 Presidential Election by bringing, or helping to bring, all of these bogus lawsuits against me,' Trump wrote, 'thereby forcing me to sit in courthouses, and spend money that could be used for campaigning, instead of being out in the field knocking Crooked Joe Biden, the WORST President in the History of the United States.'

He added in the Truth Social post: 'Election Interference!'

New York Judge Juan M. Merchan issued a gag order last month that barred Trump from publicly speaking about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in the trial.

Merchan cited the former president's pattern of issuing 'threatening, inflammatory, denigrating' statements about people involved in legal cases against him.

'I want my VOICE back,' Trump posted on his social media site on Monday before the trial, where he plans to take the stand.

'This Crooked Judge has GAGGED me,' the former president and 2024 candidate continued. 'Unconstitutional! The other side can talk about me, but I am not allowed to talk about them! Rigged Trial!'

Trump claimed in a separate post that 'virtually every legal scholar' believes the hush money case should no longer be pursued because it falls outside the statute of limitations.

'This 'trial' should be ended by the highly conflicted presiding Judge,' he insisted.

'Why didn't they bring this totally discredited lawsuit 7 years ago??? Election Interference!' the former president added.