Political and legal history are being made in a Lower Manhattan courtroom as Donald J. Trump becomes the first former U.S. president to undergo a criminal trial.

Jonah Bromwich, who covers criminal justice in New York, explains what happened during the opening days of the trial, which is tied to Mr. Trump’s role in a hush-money payment to a porn star.

Guest: Jonah E. Bromwich, who covers criminal justice in New York for The New York Times.

Background reading:

• Here’s a recap of the courtroom proceedings so far.
• Mr. Trump’s trial enters its third day with seven jurors chosen.

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.