Trump criminal trial in porn star hush money case set for April 15

A criminal trial against former US president Donald Trump in New York over alleged 2016 hush money payments to former porn star Stormy Daniels will begin on April 15, three weeks later than originally planned, according to US media reports.

Judge Juan Merchan postponed the start of the trial, originally scheduled to begin on Monday, by 30 days after Trump's defence lawyers and prosecutors both requested a delay.

Multiple media outlets reported that Merchan said on Monday that a jury should be selected in time for the April 15 trial date.

Trump, 77, described the case against him as a "witch hunt" and a "hoax" on Monday on his way to the courtroom.

The case will likely be the first criminal prosecution of a former president in US history. Trump currently faces three other pending criminal cases as well, in addition to several costly civil lawsuits.

The criminal charges against Trump in New York are related to roughly $130,000 that was paid by Trump's attorney Michael Cohen to Daniels, a prominent porn actress, during the final stretch of Trump's 2016 presidential campaign.

Trump faces criminal charges of falsifying business records in an alleged attempt to hide the payments. He has pleaded not guilty.

Daniels later publicly detailed a sexual encounter with Trump a decade earlier, a claim Trump has denied. Trump has not contested that Daniels was paid off, but contends that the money was intended to spare his family public embarrassment, not to help his political campaign.

Cohen served time in prison for his role in the scheme after pleading guilty of violating US campaign finance law.

Other pending criminal cases against Trump, who is currently running for president, include allegation of attempted election fraud and mishandling secret government documents.

Trump has repeatedly denied all the allegations against him and sought to portray himself as the victim of a politically motivated justice system.