Stormy Daniels took the witness stand Tuesday in the hush money trial of former President Donald Trump, prepared to testify about a sexual encounter the porn actor says she had in 2006. This encounter led to her being paid off to keep silent during the presidential election a decade later. Daniels briskly entered the courtroom, not pausing to look at Trump, who stared straight ahead upon her arrival.
Her testimony, highly anticipated even in a sanitized courtroom setting, marks the most-awaited spectacle in a trial balancing tabloid elements and dry record-keeping details. The testimony of an adult film performer alleging an intimate encounter with a former American president adds another layer to a case already filled with claims of sex, payoffs, and cover-ups.
Daniels’ testimony is pivotal, as it revolves around the $130,000 payment made by Trump’s then-lawyer, Michael Cohen, to keep her allegations quiet. Trump denies the encounter took place and has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
In her testimony, Daniels recounted meeting Trump at a celebrity golf outing sponsored by the adult film studio she worked for at the time. Trump invited her to dinner, which she accepted to avoid a work dinner with colleagues, encouraged by her then-publicist who saw it as a career opportunity.
Prosecutors and defence lawyers disputed the scope of Daniels’ testimony, with the defence seeking to limit discussion of the alleged encounter’s details. However, the judge permitted limited testimony relevant to her credibility.
The trial context includes the fallout from the 2016 “Access Hollywood” tape and discussions between Trump, Cohen, and campaign officials to mitigate the scandal’s impact. Cohen paid Daniels after she considered going public about her encounter with Trump.
Trump’s defence centres on contesting the charges of falsifying business records related to the hush money payments. The trial marks a significant legal challenge for Trump, with his fate now in the hands of the jury.