Quick Hit:

Arriving at the courthouse for the beginning of opening statements, former President Donald Trump blasted the New York criminal case against him as a politically motivated "Biden trial" designed to damage his chances in the upcoming November election. 

Key Details:

• Trump, who faces 34 counts of falsifying business records, has vehemently denied all charges and maintains his innocence.
• The former president has blasted the trial as a "political persecution" and maintains his innocence, vowing to "tell the truth" if he takes the stand.
• Trump has argued that the cases against him in all jurisdictions have been brought against him for the purposes of election interference and in coordination with President Biden.

Diving Deeper:

Trump arrived in court in Manhattan on Monday morning, ahead of opening statements in his trial. Prosecutors for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office and Trump's defense attorneys are set to deliver their opening statements. Trump has blasted the trial as pure politics, a "political persecution" and maintains his innocence. "I just want to say before we begin — these are all Biden trials," Trump said before opening statements were delivered Monday. "This is done as election interference. Everybody knows it."

Trump's attorney, Will Scharf, told Fox News Channel on Sunday that the case should never have been brought, and that the facts are on his client's side. "While the prosecution and the media are hell-bent on sensationalizing this case, we're focusing on the facts because the facts show that President Trump did absolutely nothing wrong," Scharf said.

Trump also pointed to New York Attorney General Letitia James' case, in which he was forced to post a $175 million bond and found liable for fraud by New York Judge Arthur Engoron after a months-long civil trial without a jury. Trump criticized James and Judge Engoron, calling the latter an "extremely crazed judge who is the most overturned judge in New York State."

As for the criminal trial stemming from Bragg's investigation, Trump said: "It's a very, very sad day in America, I can tell you that." The former president is subject to a gag order in Bragg's criminal case, which Judge Juan Merchan imposed upon him last month before the trial began.