Former adult film star Stormy Daniels testified before a jury on Tuesday against former U.S. President Donald Trump in a criminal trial he is facing in New York, where she is a key figure. The 45-year-old actress, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, entered the crowded Manhattan courtroom and took her seat at the witness stand to the left of the jury facing Trump.
Daniels, appearing somewhat nervous, recounted what transpired in 2006 when she met Trump at a golf tournament. She stated, "It was a very brief meeting," and added that "one of the security personnel said that Mr. Trump would like to know if I wanted to have dinner with him."
Daniels confirmed that she had a sexual encounter with the billionaire in a hotel suite, a claim that Trump vehemently denies. Daniels may have to testify for several hours against the former Republican president, who entered the courtroom Tuesday with a grim expression and remained silent while the porn star spoke.
During her testimony, prosecutors displayed a well-known photo of her with Trump standing side by side. Daniels detailed the conversation they had in the hotel suite, noting it was "three times the size of my apartment," where she found Trump "wearing a silk or satin pajama," which she mocked.
She added that Trump showed interest in her during their conversation and mentioned to her that he did not sleep in the same room as his wife, Melania. Trump later invited her to appear on his television show "The Apprentice," which did not occur.
Ten years later, Daniels received $130,000 at the end of Trump's 2016 presidential campaign in exchange for her silence regarding the sexual encounter she claimed to have had with him. This payment is at the center of the case against the Republican candidate for the 2024 presidential election.
Trump has been appearing before a jury since April 15, charged with falsifying 34 business documents, where he risks a criminal conviction, which could jeopardize his campaign. The initial payment was made from the personal funds of his former lawyer Michael Cohen through a shell company. According to prosecutors, the Trump Organization reimbursed the lawyer in 2017, labeling it as "legal fees," which is central to the allegations of document falsification.
Even if convicted, he can still run in the presidential election scheduled for November 5. The amount itself has not been contested, but Trump's defense team denies any criminal wrongdoing.
Trump's lawyer Susan Necheles made an objection to the judge allowing Daniels to testify about any "sexual acts," arguing it was "unjustifiably prejudicial." The prosecutor, Susan Hoffinger, responded that while details could be excluded, "it is important to prove that a sexual act occurred and what she felt."
Since the Wall Street Journal disclosed the payment in January 2018, during the midterm of Trump's presidency, he has consistently denied any relationship with the former adult film star and has attacked her credibility, referring to her as "horseface."
Hours earlier on Tuesday, a post made on Trump's Truth Social account was deleted, where he complained about a witness testifying that day without naming her, referring to the lack of time for his lawyer to prepare. This follows the judge's prohibition against Trump publicly attacking witnesses or jurors outside the courtroom, for which he had incurred ten fines of $1,000 each, the maximum penalty for such violations. The judge warned him again on Monday of the possibility of jail if he violated these rules.
