During the Trump trial – Daniels: “If the story was made up, it would be better”

On his second day on the witness stand, Daniels was questioned by Trump’s lawyers. Trump’s defense claimed she wanted to monetize her story with her book published in 2018. For this she received $800,000 (about 742,000 euros in today’s money). However, the 45-year-old responded that she only wanted to document her story “so that my family is not harmed.”

Trump lawyer: ‘Experience with made-up stories’
Trump lawyer Susan Necheles suggested that the former porn actress had “a lot of experience making fictional stories about sex seem real.” Daniels countered that if her story about Trump had not been true, “I would have done a lot better.”

Trump denies having sex with Daniels
The trial against the 77-year-old is the first criminal trial in history against a former American president. This is about the alleged payment of hush money to Stormy Daniels as part of the 2016 presidential election – this payment was allegedly hidden by falsifying business documents. Trump has pleaded not guilty and also denies having sex with the former porn star.

Trump on Thursday called the trial a “Frankenstein case” and again complained about the ban on speaking against him. Trump is prohibited from making statements that may impact the proceedings regarding witnesses, jurors, prosecutors, court officials and the Public Prosecution Service. The ex-president said his side had appealed the ban, but gave no details.

The description of the sex affair lasted five hours
Daniels had already described her alleged sex affair with the then real estate magnate for five hours on Tuesday. Defendant Trump followed the statement with a stony face, but apparently also uttered curses in between – for which he received a warning from the judge.

In a New York courtroom, 45-year-old Stormy Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, detailed her meeting with Trump at a golf tournament at Lake Tahoe in the western United States in 2006. According to Clifford’s descriptions: the ex US president invited her to his hotel suite. In court, she described Trump’s “silk or satin pajamas,” his boxer shorts and that they had brief sex in the “missionary position” and without a condom. She also slapped the real estate entrepreneur on the butt with a magazine with a photo of him on the cover.

Daniels was ashamed of having sex with Trump
Trump “did not threaten her verbally or physically at the time,” the witness said of their encounter in Lake Tahoe. But there was a ‘power differential’ between her and the real estate mogul, who was 32 years her senior. She was ashamed that she did not stop Trump and “didn’t say no.”

Appearance in TV show promised
Trump, who was already married to his current wife Melania and had recently had their son Barron, spoke with her about, among other things, the porn industry and was “very interested in business matters”. He also suggested she appear on his television show ‘The Apprentice’. According to Clifford, there were further meetings with Trump after that. She broke off contact when she realized nothing would happen from her appearance on his television show.

During Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, she wanted to make her Trump story public. But she subsequently signed a confidentiality agreement negotiated with then-Trump attorney Michael Cohen and received $130,000, Clifford reported. During her testimony, Clifford looked Trump directly in the face several times, but he did not return the look.

In addition to the hush money case, Trump, who plans to run again in November’s presidential election, faces criminal charges in three other cases. In these three cases it is uncertain when the processes could start.