Today, May 7, 2024, Adult film star Stormy Daniels testified in a Manhattan courtroom during former President Donald Trump’s criminal trial on Tuesday.
During the testimony, Daniels recounted her 2006 encounter with Trump at a celebrity golf tournament in Nevada, where she claimed they had slept together after a two-hour conversation in his hotel suite. She also discussed Trump’s subsequent promises to cast her on his reality show, which never materialized.
While interacting with Donald Trump, she stated that he neither offered her money nor instructed her to remain quiet. This suggests that there was no attempt to conceal the affair for political gain. She also indicated that Michael Cohen alone negotiated the payment arrangement with her, which implies that Trump was not involved in these dealings.
During the trial, Trump’s defense team attempted to have the case declared a mistrial over elements of Daniels’ testimony, but the judge quickly dismissed the request. The defense also accused Daniels of fabricating her account and attempting to extort Trump. Daniels denied these claims, stating that she delayed coming forward due to safety concerns.
In October 2016, Daniels agreed not to disclose her story in exchange for $130,000 from Trump’s personal attorney at the time, Michael Cohen. Trump allegedly reimbursed Cohen with monthly payments of $35,000 throughout 2017. Prosecutors argue that these payments were disguised to cover up the payment to Daniels.
Trump has been charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records related to the reimbursements to Cohen. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Daniels is expected to return to the stand on Thursday when the trial reconvenes.