Donald Trump ‘hush money’ NYC trial live updates: Defense grilling Stormy Daniels

Stormy Daniels returned to the witness stand on Thursday during former President Donald Trump’s “hush money” trial in Manhattan, following her detailed testimony about their affairs on Tuesday. The judge deemed some of her testimony “unnecessary” and reprimanded the prosecution.

The former president, who is also the presumptive 2024 GOP nominee, has pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records related to the $130,000 payment made to Daniels before the 2016 election.

During her testimony, Daniels remarked that if her story about having affairs with Trump were false, she would have made it more compelling. Trump’s lawyer, Susan Necheles, questioned Daniels about her career in the adult film industry, where she revealed she has participated in and written for over 200 adult films.

“I never used that tagline; I hated it,” she said.REUTERS

Necheles probed Daniels about crafting fictional narratives and embellishing “phoney stories about sex” for a wider audience, to which Daniels responded with surprise, emphasizing that the sex depicted in the films is genuine, much like her experience with Trump at a Lake Tahoe hotel.

Daniels subtly criticized Trump during her testimony, highlighting that their encounter was brief and lacked protection, insinuating that if she were fabricating the story, she would have made it more favourable.

Daniels is a self-proclaimed ghost hunter. JUSTIN LANE/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

The trial took an unexpected turn as Trump’s attorney questioned Daniels about her belief in communicating with “dead people,” referencing her interest in ghosts due to her experience living in a reportedly haunted house in New Orleans. Daniels jokingly referred to herself as a ghost hunter during the proceedings.

https://twitter.com/Fallaw1F/status/1772863729442406572?t=yVUSmYu9e7J18YfLpShMsg&s=19

In a recent social media post, Daniels responded to derogatory comments by calling herself a “human toilet” and expressed her readiness to “flush the orange turd down.” When questioned about the identity of the “orange turd,” Daniels candidly confirmed that she was referring to Donald Trump.

Trump’s attorney peppered Daniels with questions about Trump’s “brand” Thursday morning. Reuters

The trial continues to unfold with intense scrutiny on both sides, shedding light on the complex legal and personal dynamics surrounding the controversial events involving Trump and Daniels.

Daniels’ testimony and exchanges with Trump’s legal team provide intriguing insights into the case’s intricacies and the broader political context.

Sola Adeniji

News Reporter, Freelancer, and content creator

See Full Bio