The raw testimony of Stormy Daniels, former porn star, at the trial of Donald Trump, caused a lot of ink to flow on Tuesday. Here are the points to remember from this particularly anticipated moment.
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Donald Trump is being sued for a hidden payment of $130,000
This is the money he allegedly gave to the actress at the end of the 2016 presidential campaign to buy her silence. The former president was previously married to Melania Trump, his current wife.
Their meeting dates back to 2006
The two met at a golf tournament in Nevada; he was 60, she was 27. One evening, after dinner, in a hotel suite, she found the man naked in the bed. She wouldn’t have known how to say no.
She took out a book, Full Disclosure, to tell his story in 2018
It was two years after the presidential election that Donald Trump won. That same year, the Wall Street Journal revealed the money Michael Cohen, Trump’s former lawyer, gave to Stormy Daniels.
A trial with disturbing remarks
“Horse face”, “shitbag” and “you remind me of my daughter”: some of Mr. Trump’s comments caused a reaction, even though he denies having said these words. The former president also sought to attack Ms. Daniels’ credibility. “We were entitled to the total,” declared Richard Latendresse, correspondent for VAT News in Washington.
The actress briefly described the sexual encounter, which was consensual, although “her hands were shaking at the end,” according to Agence France-Presse (AFP). If she did not feel threatened, she assured that the intention of the businessman “was quite clear” and that the “balance of power was unbalanced”.
Judge denies Donald Trump’s lawyers’ request for mistrial
The defendant’s lawyers denounced Ms. Daniels’ testimony, saying the majority of what she said had nothing to do with the accusations against the former president.
It was a request rejected by the judge, even though he “agreed that there were things that were better left unsaid.”
Daniels owes Trump $560,000
Stormy Daniels had already sued Donald Trump in 2018 for defamation, a case which she lost. She was ordered to pay him the sum of $560,000. She nevertheless chose not to pay it out right away, while this situation is still “awaiting a decision,” CNN reported.
Stormy Daniels is not the first to have her silence bought
In 2016, Playboy magazine model Karen McDougal received a $150,000 payment for her silence. She also allegedly had a sexual relationship with Trump, which the latter completely denies.
Trump didn’t know today’s witness was Stormy Daniels
According to information from CNN, the former president arrived in court on Tuesday morning with an execrable attitude, since he did not know in advance that Ms. Daniels was going to testify.
In a now-deleted post on Truth Social, he said “this is unprecedented, the lawyers have had no time to prepare.”
Stormy Daniels testified for 3 hours and 44 minutes
She will nevertheless have to return before the judge on Thursday to answer questions from Trump’s lawyers.
– With information from AFP and CNN
