Analysis: There's a lot riding on Donald Trump's latest court case — and it's much more than the $US250 million he might have to pay, writes US Correspondent Logan Church.
Countless members of the public crowd behind temporary barriers, monitored closely by NYPD officers.
Tourists bake in the midday heat crammed into a New York tour bus, binoculars and cameras pointed. A man is walking the streets with a chilly bin selling water.
There are lines of camera crews, stationed in front of even more rows of reporters, with interns running through them all with trays of overpriced coffee from the Starbucks across the street.
Satellite broadcast trucks fill every available parking space.
The air is electric with excitement and murmuring, drowning out the mini-earthquake-like rumble of a subway train hurtling beneath us.
You'd be forgiven if you thought this was a star-studded movie premiere.
But no. This is a far bigger show — a Donald Trump court appearance.
The former US president is in court again as he fights a $US250 million (NZ$424 million) lawsuit.
The New York attorney general Letitia James has accused Trump, his children, and other officials in his businesses of widespread business fraud. In short, they are accused of wildly inflating the value of Trump's businesses to get more favourable loans and insurance deals.
The judge has already found him liable for business fraud, although an appeal has been launched.
Trump vehemently denies the allegations, calling the case "election interference" and "politically motivated".
"This case is a scam," he told reporters inside the lower Manhattan courthouse this week.
His lawyers have said his alleged inflated valuations are a "product of his business skills".
As with any fraud case winding its way through court, the devil is in the financial details.
His trial began today in New York after he was sued by the New York Attorney General. (Source: 1News)
And there is a lot at stake.
Aside from the $250 million the New York attorney general wants him to pay, Trump could permanently lose control of his New York businesses and properties, including his famous Trump Tower.
A reputation at risk?
But for Trump, there is something far more valuable to him at stake — his reputation.
For decades, Trump has built up an image of being the biggest billionaire businessman in New York.
Through the media, business circles and even his own wildly successful TV show, The Apprentice, he has told a story of a young property developer taking his father's business and transforming it into an international empire.
The story is as aspirational and American as you can get — even if he often left out small details, like receiving millions of dollars in financial backing from his father, multiple bankruptcies over the years and developing a reputation for not paying contractors.
Despite this, his story is one many Americans loved. It was one that helped get him into the White House a first time.
It could very well get him back into the top job after the 2024 election — he is the Republican frontrunner by a country mile.
It is unclear if he has enough supporters to win back the presidency next year, but Trump will still be wanting to protect his reputation. That means he needs to do everything he can to control this trial.
And he has something that the New York state officials who are suing him do not.
Putting on a show
The author of The Art of the Deal and celebrity TV star is arguably one of the best showmen on the planet.
He doesn't have to turn up to court, but because he does, he can keep the focus on himself and his messaging: "Election interference!" "Scam!" "Political hit job!"
And in some ways, the strategy seems to be working for him.
Trump has essentially turned this court case into a campaign event, where supporters are turning up outside with his iconic "Make America Great Again" hats and tee-shirts with Trump's mugshot from another court case emblazoned on the front.
It's a show with Trump as the main character.
He may very well lose in the court of law. But he could equally win in arguably a far more powerful jurisdiction — the court of public opinion.
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