Stormy Daniels, an adult film star, testified on Tuesday about her claimed sexual encounter with former President Donald Trump in 2006, detailing how they met at a celebrity golf tournament and what she claims happened when she went to Trump’s Lake Tahoe hotel room.
Daniels described details in a generally casual and conversational tone, from the flooring and furnishings of Trump’s hotel room to the contents of his toiletry bag in the bathroom. At one point in court, Daniels flung out her arm and elevated her leg in the witness box to recreate the moment she claims Trump posed naked on his hotel bed for her.
But some of the specifics Daniels gave were so graphic that Judge Juan Merchan interrupted her in many instances. Trump’s attorneys also alleged that Daniels had unduly biased the jury, requesting that Merchan declare a mistrial. The court dismissed the motion but noted that some of Daniel’s details were “better left unsaid.”
Crucially, Daniels testified about Trump and his personal lawyer Michael Cohen’s apparent interest in purchasing her narrative after the “Access Hollywood” tape was released right before the 2016 election.
The adult film actress will return to the witness stand when the trial continues on Thursday. Susan Necheles, Trump’s attorney, will begin her cross-examination of Daniels after over 90 minutes of contentious questioning Tuesday afternoon.
Stormy Daniels details their sexual experience in detail.
On Tuesday morning, Daniels described her 2006 meeting with Trump in his hotel room, when the adult film star claims she slept with him. (Trump denied the affair.)
Daniels recalled Trump’s hotel room, which included a black-and-white tile floor and a large mahogany table in the entryway. She detailed the dinner conversation, noting how impressed she was that Trump inquired about the business of the adult film industry rather than simply the sexual aspect.
She also told jurors how she “spanked” Trump “right on the butt” with a copy of one of his magazines.
Daniels then said that after using the restroom, she returned to find Trump on the hotel bed in his boxers and a T-shirt. “At first, I was surprised, almost like a jump fright. “I wasn’t expecting someone to be there, especially without a lot of clothing,” she said.
She stated that Trump “stood between me and the door.” Not in a menacing tone. He didn’t come at me or rush at me. “Nothing like that.” Daniels said she blacked out while they were having sex: “I had my clothes and shoes off.” I removed my bra. We were in a missionary situation.”
At this point, the court prevented Daniels from going into any further detail. It was one of numerous objections he raised, either on his own or at Trump’s attorneys’ request.
Daniels went on to say that she was “shaking” while getting ready and that she planned to meet with Trump in public in the future. Daniels stated that, while she told many people she met Trump and went to his hotel room, she only informed a few people about the sexual experience, partly because she was “ashamed.”
Overall, the evidence was so extensive and thorough that Merchan reminded Daniels several times to calm down, listen to the questions, and respond succinctly.
The prosecution also instructed Daniels to keep attentive while answering questions.
Hush money came following the ‘Access Hollywood’ tape incident.
Daniels went on to tell how she kept in touch with Trump, even seeing him briefly at Trump Tower to discuss the reality program “Celebrity Apprentice.”
Daniels said that in 2015, after Trump began running for president, her then-publicist Gina Rodriguez attempted to sell her tale. But Rodriguez wasn’t really interested until the “Access Hollywood” tape of Trump was revealed in October 2016, which led to conversations with AMI and subsequently Michael Cohen, who paid Daniels $130,000 not to go public with her case.
Daniels said that the contract deal between Peggy Peterson and David Dennison had pseudonyms for herself and Trump and that she signed it.
Daniels stated in that arrangement that she would not comment on news articles regarding the AMI agreements or any other affairs because she felt obliged by the nondisclosure agreement she signed with Cohen.
She also said that she was not truthful when she denied having an affair with Trump in remarks issued in 2018 after the Hush money payment became known. She claims she signed a statement before appearing on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” in a way she had never done before to “tip off” the late-night talk show host.
“Is this statement false?” prosecutor Susan Hoffinger inquired on Tuesday.
“Yes,” Daniel answered.
The judge denied Trump’s mistrial petition.
Following Daniels’ scandalous evidence this morning, Trump’s attorneys claimed that the court should declare a mistrial.
Trump continues to deny the charges, according to his attorney Todd Blanche, claiming that there is no way to “un-ring that bell” for jurors who have already heard overly prejudiced evidence. Blanche contended that the testimony had nothing to do with the district attorney’s case involving falsified company documents.
“This is the kind of testimony that makes it impossible to come back from, not to mention the fact that we’re talking about somebody who is going to go out and campaign this afternoon,” Blanche said, adding that media outlets were already reporting on Daniels’ account of events at lunch.
“How can we come back from this in a way that’s fair to President Trump?” Blanche challenged.
Hoffinger described the evidence as “highly probative of the defendant’s intent” and Trump’s “motive for paying this off.”
Merchan eventually refused the mistrial request, although he stated that Daniels was a tough witness to handle.
“I believe there are some things that would have been better left unsaid. Having said that, I don’t feel we’ve reached a stage where a mistrial is appropriate,” he added.
Merchan also stated that he aligned with the defense by maintaining the majority of their objections during the hearing, and that he was surprised there weren’t more.
“The defense has to take some responsibility for that,” added Merchan.
During the lunch break, Trump revealed his attorneys’ approach by writing on Truth Social: “THE PROSECUTION, WHICH HAS NO CASE, HAS GONE TOO FAR.” MISTRIAL!”
The defense accuses Daniel of lying for profit.
Necheles, Trump’s attorney, quickly challenged Daniels’ story under cross-examination, accusing the adult film star of disliking Trump.
“Am I correct that you hate President Trump?” Necheles inquired.
“Yes,” Daniel answered.
“You want him to go to jail?” Necheles proceeded.
“I want him to be held accountable,” Daniels said.
During the lunch break, Trump revealed his attorneys’ approach by writing on Truth Social: “THE PROSECUTION, WHICH HAS NO CASE, HAS GONE TOO FAR.” MISTRIAL!”
The defense accuses Daniel of lying for profit.
Necheles, Trump’s attorney, quickly challenged Daniels’ story under cross-examination, accusing the adult film star of disliking Trump.
“Am I correct that you hate President Trump?” Necheles inquired.
“Yes,” Daniel answered.
“You want him to go to jail?” Necheles proceeded.
“I want him to be held accountable,” Daniels said.
Daniels’ body language was tight, and her tone altered dramatically as Necheles tried to undermine her trustworthiness. Daniels offered brief, curt replies to several of her queries, stubbornly answering “false” and “no” while denying Necheles’ claims that she made up elements in her narrative or was attempting to blackmail Donald Trump.
Necheles, for example, questioned Daniels about violating a court order to pay Trump’s lawyer’s costs for launching a frivolous case, as well as if she was profiting from publicizing her account.
“You’ve been making money by claiming to have had sex with President Trump for more than a decade,” Necheles said.
“I’ve been making money by telling my story about what happened to me,” Daniels stated.
“That story has made you a lot of money, right?” Necheles inquired.
“It’s also cost me a lot of money,” Daniels explained.
Daniels was argumentative with Necheles many times, with Trump’s attorney claiming that she made up a narrative about being intimidated by a guy in Las Vegas in 2011 and that she changed her account depending on who paid her.
Near the end of Tuesday’s questioning, Necheles compared the $130,000 payment made before the 2016 election to extortion, a line of inquiry Trump’s lawyers employed with Daniels’ attorney, Keith Davidson.
“You are attempting to extort money from President Trump,” Necheles inquired.
“False,” Daniels said, increasing her voice.
“That’s what you did, right?” Necheles followed up.
“False,” Daniels said again.
