Porn star Stormy Daniels provided detailed and unflattering testimony about her 2006 encounter with Donald Trump during his criminal trial on Tuesday. She described trying to block out thoughts of the encounter and fearing it would become public. Daniels, 45, recounted her experience with Trump, 77, and the hush money deal she agreed to before the 2016 election, which she said plunged her life into chaos when it was revealed in 2018.
During her testimony, Daniels addressed a social media post by Trump where he referred to her as “horseface and sleazebag,” confirming that he was referring to her. Trump’s lawyers sought a mistrial, arguing that some details, such as her mention of Trump not wearing a condom, were inflammatory. Justice Juan Merchan denied the request but acknowledged that some of her testimony strayed off-topic.
Trump’s legal team attacked Daniels’ credibility, highlighting inconsistencies in her statements over the years. Daniels admitted to “hating” Trump and wanting to profit from her story. She also admitted that her decision to go public after seven years of silence was unclear.
Trump, who is running for president again as a Republican this year, did not react visibly in court. He has pleaded not guilty to charges related to concealing a $130,000 hush money payment to Daniels and denies having had a sexual encounter with her.
Daniels testified that Trump made advances toward her in his hotel suite at a golf tournament in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, and she felt unable to leave. She said she woke up on the bed with her clothes off, having “blacked out” despite not consuming drugs or alcohol.
The trial is set to resume on Thursday. Daniels’ testimony has been a focal point, with Trump calling the day “very revealing” and claiming that the case against him is falling apart. Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, shared details of her upbringing, including working in strip clubs and pornography after a challenging childhood.
She recalled Trump greeting her at his hotel suite wearing satin pajamas. Growing annoyed by his interruptions, she once asked, “Are you always this arrogant and pompous?” Trump then playfully dared her to spank him with a magazine, to which she obliged. “He was much more polite after that,” she remarked.
Trump, seemingly reacting to her testimony, appeared to dismiss her account, saying, “That’s bullshit,” as he watched from the defendant’s table.
The alleged encounter occurred while Trump was married to his current wife, Melania.
Daniels admitted to confiding in only a few people about the encounter. She revealed seeing Trump at public events on several occasions in the years that followed but eventually fell out of touch with him after he did not offer her a spot on “The Apprentice.”
Initially determined to keep the incident private, Daniels said she changed her mind during Trump’s 2016 presidential bid, amid multiple accusations of sexual misconduct against him. She clarified, “My motivation wasn’t money; it was to get the story out.”
Ultimately, Daniels negotiated a $130,000 payment with Trump’s lawyer, Michael Cohen. Prosecutors allege that Trump falsified business records to hide the reimbursement to Cohen.
Worried that Trump might not pay her if he won the election, Daniels was eager to collect the payment before the 2016 election.
While the case is considered less significant than three other criminal prosecutions Trump faces, it is the only one certain to go to trial before the election. The other cases involve charges of attempting to overturn his 2020 election loss and mishandling classified documents after leaving office. Trump has pleaded not guilty to all three charges.
In Florida, where Trump is accused of illegally retaining classified documents, a judge decided on Tuesday to indefinitely postpone the trial. This decision significantly reduces the likelihood of Trump facing a jury trial in the two federal cases before the election.
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