Trump trial updates: Stormy Daniels describes alleged sexual encounter with Trump — and faces testy cross-examination
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Adult film actress Stormy Daniels recounted the details of her alleged extramarital affair with former President Donald Trump during Tuesday’s testimony in the hush money trial. This is Yahoo News' succinct update on the criminal and civil cases against Trump. Here are the latest developments.
🚨 What happened today
The prosecution called adult film actress Stormy Daniels to the witness stand to recount her claim of having sex with former President Donald Trump in 2006 at a celebrity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe, Calif. She also testified about her efforts to try to sell her story of the affair and being paid $130,000 by Trump lawyer Michael Cohen to keep quiet about it.
The prosecution sought to use Daniels's testimony to bolster their claim that Trump broke the law when he falsified business records to keep a story about his infidelity with the porn actress from coming to light. During cross-examination, the defense tried to cast Daniels as a liar who concocted the story to make money.
🔬Zoom in
Sordid details: Daniels recounted for the jury the details of her alleged sexual encounter with Trump. "I had my clothes and my shoes off. I removed my bra. We were in missionary position," CNN reported Daniels testified about the encounter in Trump’s hotel suite. "I just left as fast as I could. That was it," she said of the affair, adding, "I told very few people that we had actually had sex because I felt ashamed that I didn’t stop it."
But her contacts with Trump continued for months, Daniels testified, in part because Trump had floated the idea of her becoming a contestant on The Apprentice. "I wanted to maintain that sort of relationship because the chance to be on The Apprentice was still up in the air. It would have been a great thing,” she told the jury.
Daniels also testified about her decision to try to sell her story of an affair with Trump after he announced his candidacy for president. In October 2016, following the release of the infamous Access Hollywood tape, Daniels testified that her publicist was approached by Trump’s lawyer Michael Cohen about paying her in exchange for her silence. "They were interested in paying for the story," Daniels said of Cohen and Trump. "Which was the best thing that could've happened,” because she believed it would put an end to threats she had received from Trump’s supporters.
Judge denies defense motion for mistrial: Prior to their cross-examination of Daniels, Trump’s lawyers filed a motion for a mistrial because, they claimed, her testimony had exceeded limits put in place by the judge. "This is the kind of testimony that makes it impossible to come back from,” defense lawyer Todd Blanche told Judge Juan Merchan. While Merchan granted that some of the testimony was “better left unsaid,” he denied the motion, saying, “I don’t believe we’re at a point where a mistrial is warranted."
Testy cross-examination: Right out of the gate, Trump lawyer Susan Necheles looked to paint Daniels as vindictive toward Trump, as in the following exchange:
Necheles: “Am I correct that you hate President Trump?”
Daniels: “Yes.”
Necheles: “And you want him to go to jail?”
Daniels: “I want him to be held accountable.”
Necheles pointed out that Daniels owes Trump $560,000 in legal fees stemming from a defamation case Daniels brought against him that was dismissed, and pressed her about posts on X in which she boasted she would go to jail before she paid Trump. "I hope I don't have to pay him no matter what happens," Daniels testified.
Necheles also accused Daniels of using the story of the alleged affair in an effort to extort money from Trump, leading Daniels to exclaim, “False!”
🗓 What’s next?
Trump’s lawyers will continue their cross-examination of Daniels on Thursday at 9:30 a.m. ET.
