Former adult film actress Stormy Daniels will be back in court for the second time on Thursday to testify in former President Donald Trump’s criminal trial. Daniels’ testimony on Tuesday about her alleged sexual encounter with Trump led to his lawyers calling for a mistrial. The trial, which resumes at 9:30 a.m. Eastern time, focuses on Trump’s felony charges of falsifying business records related to a $130,000 hush money payment made to Daniels before the 2016 election.
During her testimony, Daniels described her encounter with Trump in 2006 as a “jump scare” and stated that she only remained in contact with him in the following months in hopes of securing a spot on The Apprentice. Trump’s attorneys argued for a mistrial due to Daniels’ detailed testimony, which they claimed could bias the jury against Trump. However, Judge Juan Merchan denied the request and allowed the trial to continue.
It remains unclear how long Daniels’ testimony will last on Thursday, but she is expected to be a central figure in the trial. The jury is also anticipated to hear from other key witnesses, including Michael Cohen, Trump’s children, Rudy Giuliani, and Steve Bannon, as the trial is expected to continue for approximately three more weeks. Trump is barred from publicly speaking about Daniels or other witnesses due to a gag order in place during the trial.
Trump is facing 34 felony charges related to falsification of business records in the Manhattan trial, which is the first of his four criminal cases to go to trial. The charges stem from Cohen’s payment of $130,000 to Daniels to silence her allegations about Trump, with Trump later reimbursing Cohen for the payment through a series of checks falsely labeled as legal expenses. Trump has pleaded not guilty to the charges, and his attorneys have protested against Daniels’ testimony, calling it irrelevant to the case about books and records.
The trial marks a significant development in the years-long saga surrounding Daniels’ hush money payment, which first came to light in 2018 during Trump’s time in the White House. Daniels has alleged that she had a sexual encounter with Trump in 2006 and accepted the hush money deal out of fear that the story would impact the 2016 election. Trump has long denied the affair allegations, and the trial is an important legal battle for both parties involved.
