Stormy Daniels returns to the witness stand this Thursday in the trial where former President Donald Trump is accused of paying to silence damaging revelations as the defense attempts to undermine the credibility of the lewd testimony of the porn actress about her alleged sexual encounter and the money they paid him to remain silent.
The trial against the former president restarts with defense attorneys questioning Daniels, whose story is key to the case of prosecutors who accuse Trump of conspiring to illegally influence the 2016 presidential campaign by suppressing unflattering stories about him.
Trump watched in the courtroom as Daniels described for hours Tuesday an unexpected sexual encounter she says they had in 2006. Trump denies they ever had sexual relations. Still, a decade later, Trump’s then-lawyer Michael Cohen paid him to remain silent during the final weeks of the presidential campaign.
Daniels’ testimony was an extraordinary moment in what could be the only criminal case against the presumptive Republican presidential nominee that goes to trial before voters decide in November whether to send him back to the White House. Trump has pleaded not guilty, denies any wrongdoing and has portrayed himself as a victim of a politically tainted justice system working to deny him another term.
Trump’s lawyers have tried to portray Daniels as a liar and extortionist who tries to take down the former president after gaining money and fame from his story about him. Daniels at times resisted direct questions, categorically denying the idea that he tried to extort Trump.
Daniels’ testimony last Tuesday began with an account of the celebrity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe where she met Trump in 2006.
The adult film studio I worked for at the time sponsored one of the holes on the golf course. Daniels told the court that She and Trump initially had a “very brief encounter” when their group stopped by.
She remembered him talking about the adult film industry and his prowess, commenting that she had to be “the smart one” if she was making movies.
Daniels said she saw Trump again after the round of golf in what was known as the “gift room,” an area where celebrity golfers collected bags of gifts and items during the event in Lake Tahoe. There, he said, He remembered her as “the smart one” and asked her if she wanted to go to dinner.
She testified that Trump’s bodyguard Keith Schiller took her number.
Daniels said that accepted Trump’s invitation because he wanted to escape a planned dinner with his colleagues from the adult film company, because “I didn’t want to be around some of them… catfights,” he said with a smile.
The actress stated that she took an elevator to the penthouse of the hotel where Trump was staying following instructions from his bodyguard. Daniels said she saw Keith Schiller outside the door and exchanged pleasantries with him before entering.
Schiller told her that the plan was for her and Trump to go to dinner at one of the hotel’s restaurants. She said she entered a lobby with black and white tile floors, mahogany furniture and a large flower arrangement.
He then called Trump by name and said, “Hooola.” Then Trump entered the lobby “wearing silk or satin pajamas for which I immediately made fun of him.” “I said, ‘Does Mr. (Hugh) Hefner know that you stole his pajamas?’” Daniels recalled, referring to the late Playboy owner.
Daniels recounted that Trump left to quickly change into a suit and described Trump’s hotel suite as three times the size of his apartment.
He also told the judge that “traumatized” for the sexual encounter she had after dinner, according to her, with Trump. He explained that the former president did not use a condom.
“Did you say anything about it?” prosecutor Susan Hoffinger asked. “No,” Daniels responded. And, when she was asked why not, she added: “I didn’t say anything at all”. She called it “brief” and repeated that she did not say no at any time. “I didn’t say anything at all,” she said again.
