Stormy Daniels is testifying at Donald Trump’s criminal hush money trial for a second day, where his lawyers are expected to continue their combative cross-examination. Daniels shockingly admitted to hating Trump and was accused by attorney Susan Necheles of extorting money from the former president before the 2016 election to keep quiet about a sexual encounter she had with him. Daniels denied these accusations and stated that her primary motivation for coming forward was not money, but to share her story.
Daniels described in detail her alleged sexual encounter with Trump in 2006 at a celebrity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe, California. She talked about spanking Trump with a rolled-up magazine with his face on the cover and how he told her not to worry about his wife Melania, saying they didn’t even sleep in the same room. She also mentioned that the encounter was brief and that Trump did not wear a condom, which concerned her. Trump denies the allegations, and it is unclear how his lawyers will handle questioning Daniels about the events of that night.
If Daniels is questioned too much about the alleged hookup, legal analysts say it could open the door for prosecutors to delve deeper into the details of the encounter. Trump is charged with having his personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, pay off Daniels in an attempt to influence the 2016 election and then trying to cover it up by falsifying entries in his business records in 2017. Trump has pleaded not guilty to the charges and has criticized the case as being politically motivated.
During the trial, Daniels testified that she previously sold her story about the encounter with Trump to a gossip magazine for $15,000 in 2011, but they chose not to publish it at that time. She shared her version of events with the jury, including the intimate details of her time with Trump. Despite the contentious nature of the trial and the tense exchanges with Trump’s lawyers, Daniels remained firm in her stance that she was not looking to extort money from the former president.
The case against Trump involves allegations of financial impropriety and attempts to interfere with the integrity of the 2016 election. The prosecution argues that the payoff to Daniels was intended to silence her and prevent damaging information from being made public. Trump’s defense maintains his innocence and denies any wrongdoing in relation to the hush money payment. The trial continues to be a high-profile legal battle between Trump and Daniels, with each side standing their ground on their respective positions.
