Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's case against former President Donald Trump over alleged hush money paid to an adult film actress has entered a new, critical phase.

Why it matters: Bragg is now the first prosecutor to begin a criminal trial against a current or former U.S. president.

• Trump is on trial while campaigning for the presidential election.

Driving the news: The trial began on Monday in one of Trump's four criminal cases, despite attempts from his legal team to delay its start.

• He faces charges for allegedly falsifying business records to cover up a payment worth $130,000 to adult film actress Stormy Daniels.
• This was the first of the four criminal cases brought against him, and he pleaded not guilty.

State of play: Bragg, a Democrat who grew up in Harlem, became Manhattan's first Black district attorney in 2022.

• He beat out seven other Democrats in the 2021 election in a campaign focused on public safety and fairness for defendants.
• "Alvin believes in holding powerful people accountable for harming everyday New Yorkers," the DA's website said.
• He has prioritized reducing recidivism, increasing gun prosecutions and centering the well-being of survivors.

Context: Bragg earned his J.D. from Harvard Law School.

• Before becoming D.A., he was a visiting professor and co-director of the Racial Justice Project at New York Law School, where he represented Eric Garner's mother and sister in a lawsuit.

Flashback: Bragg inherited the Trump case from former Manhattan D.A. Cyrus Vance.

• The Manhattan District Attorney's Office subpoenaed the Trump Organization for records related to the alleged hush money in 2019.
• In 2023, a grand jury in New York indicted Trump over the investigation.

Worthy of your time: Bragg secured a six-count indictment against former White House strategist Steve Bannon and WeBuildTheWall Inc. on charges including money laundering, conspiracy and scheming to defraud.

• He also was involved in the conviction of Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg in connection with a tax evasion scheme.

Friction point: Bragg has received attacks from Republicans, who said the prosecution was politically partisan.

• He received death threats and "violent and racist vitriol" from Trump allies following the former president's controversial indictment.
• Erin E. Murphy, a New York University law professor and friend of Bragg's, told the New York Times the prosecutor isn't political.
• "He's like, not a hyperpartisan political person in any way, shape or form," Murphy said.

Go deeper: U.S. voters take Trump's hush money charges seriously: Poll