Stormy Daniels concluded nearly seven hours of dramatic testimony Thursday centered on her alleged sexual relationship with Donald Trump in 2006, oscillating between defiance and vulnerability under intense questioning from Donald Trump’s defense attorney.
During a tense cross-examination, Daniels denied allegations that she invented a false narrative to enrich herself, telling jurors that her interaction with Trump and his subsequent notoriety had a “negative” impact on her life. Trump has strongly denied any meeting.
Trump is on trial for allegedly falsifying business records to hide repayment of a secret payment that his then-lawyer, Michael Cohen, made to Daniels to improve his voting prospects in the 2016 presidential election. The former president has denied any wrongdoing.
On Thursday afternoon, after Judge Juan Merchan dismissed the jury for the day, Trump’s lawyers requested a mistrial and asked the judge to modify a silence order limiting what the former president could say publicly about Daniels.
Justice Mercan dismissed both motions.
Prosecutors also said Thursday that Karen McDougal, who was paid by the National Enquirer to suppress her allegations of a year-long affair with Trump, would not testify — meaning Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen , is the only key witness remaining.
Testimony resumes Friday morning with the cross-examination of former White House aide Madeleine Westerhout, whose testimony began Thursday.
Here are six important takeaways from Day 14 of the trial.
Stormy Daniels spars with Trump’s defense attorney
For several hours Thursday morning, Stormy Daniels exchanged blows with Susan Necheles, Donald Trump’s attorney, as Daniels defended the veracity of her alleged night with Trump nearly two decades ago.
Necheles accused the adult film star of fabricating elements of his story and exploiting his public dispute with Trump to enrich himself — landing a lucrative book deal and selling #TeamStormy merchandise.
“The details of your story keep changing, don’t they? » asked Necheles.
“No,” Daniels replied.
Daniels sought to distance himself from the name of his 2018-2019 strip club tour, which a South Carolina club manager dubbed the “Make America Horny” tour.
Former President Donald Trump looks on as Stormy Daniels is questioned by defense attorney Susan Necheles during his criminal trial in Manhattan State Court in New York, May 9, 2024, in this courtroom sketch .
Jane Rosenberg via Reuters
“I didn’t name this tour and I fought it tooth and nail,” Daniels said. “I have no control over how a club advertises… I never used that slogan. I hated it.”
When prosecutor Susan Hoffinger had the opportunity to question Daniels again, she concluded with this question: “Overall, have you publicly told the truth about your experiences with Mr. Trump having been markedly positive or net negative?
“Negative,” Daniels said.
Necheles tries to use Daniels’ porn career against her
Necheles repeatedly invoked Daniels’ experience in the porn industry to question elements of her story, at one point suggesting that Daniels had a habit of making up stories about sex.
“You have a lot of experience making fake stories about sex seem real?” » asked Necheles.
“Sex in movies is very real, just like what happened to me in that room,” Daniels responded. She added that if she had fictionalized her meeting with Trump, “I would have written it to be much better.”
Necheles also noted that Daniels had starred in as many as 200 adult films, alongside “naked men and women having sex.”
“But…seeing a man sitting on a bed in a T-shirt and boxers was so overwhelming that you felt dizzy, the blood left your hands and feet, and you felt dizzy. Did you feel like you were going to pass out?” she challenged Daniels.
Daniels pushed back, justifying her reaction because, she said, in that situation you don’t expect to see a man twice your age in bed.
Judge again denies Trump’s mistrial motion
Judge Merchan on Thursday denied the defense’s second motion for a mistrial, finding that the state questioned Daniels appropriately in an effort to establish his credibility.
Trump’s lawyer, Todd Blanche, disputed the explicit testimony prosecutors obtained from Daniels, including a line of inquiry into whether Trump allegedly did not wear a condom — which Blanche called a “whistle dog for rape.
“It’s not about sex,” Blanche said. “This is extremely damaging testimony.”
Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass argued that defense attorneys could not attack Daniels’ credibility in their opening statement and then ask for a mistrial after the state questioned Daniels extensively in order to develop his credibility with of the jury.
“They’re trying to have the cake and eat it too,” Steinglass said.
Judge Merchan ultimately ruled that Daniels’ testimony was necessary because Trump’s lawyers continue to deny that the affair took place.
“These details add a sense of credibility if the jury chooses to believe them,” Merchan said. “Your motion for a mistrial is denied.”
Blanche also asked the judge to modify the limited silence order barring Trump from responding to Daniels in public, arguing that Trump should be given “an opportunity to respond to the American people.”
Merchan also denied that motion, saying, “My concern is not just to protect Ms. Daniels or a witness who just testified. My concern is to protect this proceeding as a whole.”
Former White House aide gets emotional on the stand
Madeleine Westerhout, former director of Oval Office operations at the White House, became emotional on the stand, making her the second former White House aide to break down in tears during the trial after Hope Hicks did the same last week.
“I very much regret my youthful indiscretion,” she said, explaining that she left the White House after sharing information with reporters at an off-the-record dinner.
Fighting back tears, Westerhout said she has “grown up a lot since then.”
Before joining the Trump administration, Westerhout worked at the Republican National Committee, where she recalled the release of the “Access Hollywood” tape that “rattled” Republican leaders – saying that “there were discussions about how it would be possible to replace (Trump) as the candidate if it came to that.
Westerhout’s cross-examination continues Friday morning.
2 witnesses briefly take turns on the stand
After Stormy Daniels finished her testimony and left the stand, prosecutors called two additional witnesses in succession.
Rebecca Manochio, an accountant at the Trump Organization, testified about her role in sending checks for Michael Cohen and others to Donald Trump in Washington, D.C., for his signature. She testified that she first sent them to the home of Trump’s bodyguard, Keith Schiller, but then sent them to John McEntee, a Trump White House aide.
Then Tracy Menzies, publishing executive at HarperCollins, read excerpts from Trump’s 2007 book, “Think Big: Make It Happen in Business and Life,” including: “My motto is : “Always take revenge”. When someone screws you over, screw them over in spades” and “I value loyalty above all else.”
Trial proceeding on time, says Merchan
Judge Merchan told jurors the trial was set to end in six weeks.
Prosecutors had previously suggested they could wrap up their case as early as the end of next week, but said it would most likely wrap up early the following week. The defense will then present its arguments, followed by the State’s rebuttal.
The trial schedule could depend on how long lawyers seek to question Michael Cohen, the case’s star witness, when he takes the stand.
ABC News
