NEW YORK: Porn star Stormy Daniels described her 2006 encounter with Donald Trump in unflattering terms at his criminal trial on Tuesday (May 7), testifying she tried not to think about the sex while it took place and feared it would become public.
For several hours Daniels, 45, offered riveting details on the witness stand about her encounter with Trump, 77, and the hush-money deal she reached to stay quiet about it ahead of the 2016 election when he won the White House.
She told jurors that her life descended into “chaos” after the arrangement was made public in 2018, saying she was ostracised and harassed at her home.
“Who do you understand Mr Trump to be referring to as horse face and sleazebag in this post?” prosecutor Susan Hoffinger asked her as she displayed a social media post by Trump.
“Me,” Daniels replied.
Daniels’ testimony provided fodder for Trump’s lawyers to seek a mistrial, arguing that details, such as her statement that Trump did not wear a condom, served no purpose other than to inflame the jury.
Justice Juan Merchan denied that request but agreed that some of her testimony ran too far afield.
Trump’s lawyers attacked her credibility and grilled her about inconsistent statements she has made over the years about her time with Trump.
Daniels also conceded that she “hates” Trump and wanted to make money off her story. Her explanation for why she went public after seven years of silence and denials also was unclear.
Trump, the Republican candidate for president again this year, did not react as he watched from the defence table. He has pleaded not guilty to charges of falsifying business records to cover up a US$130,000 hush money payment to Daniels and denies having sex with Daniels.
His legal team has suggested that Daniels was angling for a spot on “The Apprentice”, a popular reality TV show then hosted by Trump, a New York real estate mogul.
Daniels confirmed that she hoped he would cast her on the show following their encounter.
“This was a very big day, a very revealing day. As you see their case is totally falling apart,” Trump told reporters outside the courtroom at the end of the day.
The trial resumes on Thursday when Daniels will again take the stand.
