Stormy Daniels, the recipient of the alleged “hush money” payment that prompted Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg to indict Donald Trump, took the witness stand on Tuesday where she described her alleged affair with Trump in lurid detail.
Seated at the defense table, Trump avoided looking at the former adult film star as she recounted her 2006 encounter with Trump and explained why she accepted the $130,000 hush money payment a decade later.
Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, revealed that she first met Trump while attending a celebrity golf tournament in Nevada. After their meeting, Daniels alleged that Trump invited her to his suite for a tryst.
The former adult actress went into graphic detail about the encounter, some of which Judge Juan Merchan conceded was “better left unsaid.”
Midway through her testimony, the defense moved for a mistrial, arguing that her testimony about the alleged tryst was irrelevant to the case and unfairly prejudiced the jurors.
However, Judge Merchan denied the motion, faulting the defense for not raising objections to her testimony.
During cross-examination, the defense accused Daniels of fabricating much of her story and suggested that her motive for coming forward was a financial one. An emotional Daniels denied the accusations, saying she kept quiet out of concern for her safety.
During a sidebar with attorneys, the judge told the defense that Trump’s behavior was “contemptuous.” He noted that Trump was “cursing audibly” and visibly “shaking his head” during Daniels’ testimony.
Judge Merchan said he could understand that Trump was upset, but added that Trump’s behavior could potentially intimidate the witness “and the jury can see that.” He added that he was speaking to the lawyers in a sidebar because he didn’t want to “embarrass” Trump.
Trump’s attorneys maintain that Trump paid Daniels to shield his family from embarrassment and not because he was running for president.
