In a pivotal moment in the ongoing hush money trial against former President Donald Trump, adult film star Stormy Daniels took the stand on Tuesday, recounting the tumultuous aftermath of her alleged hush-money agreement with Trump.
Daniels described her life spiraling into “chaos” following the revelation of her hush-money deal with Trump, aimed at concealing their purported sexual encounter. Speaking before a New York jury, she detailed the ostracism and harassment she endured, both publicly and at her residence, as a result of the hush money arrangement becoming public knowledge.
“My husband asking questions, my friends asking questions. It blew my cover, for lack of a better way to explain it,” Daniels testified.
The 45-year-old porn star elucidated the circumstances surrounding the alleged 2006 sexual encounter with Trump and the subsequent $130,000 hush money payment she secured during his 2016 presidential campaign. Daniels expressed apprehension about Trump’s commitment to honor the agreement if he were to win the November 2016 election.
Despite initially maintaining silence, Daniels disclosed details of the encounter to the Wall Street Journal in 2018, citing her determination to share her story amidst Trump’s presidential bid and the mounting allegations of sexual misconduct against him.
“My motivation wasn’t money, it was to get the story out,” Daniels asserted.
As Trump, 77, observed her testimony impassively from the witness stand, Daniels recounted the alleged events leading up to the encounter, including Trump’s purported sexual advances and disparaging remarks.
According to Daniels, Trump made advances after inviting her to his hotel suite at a celebrity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, where he allegedly remarked, “this is the only way you’re getting out of the trailer park.”
Detailing the encounter, Daniels testified to feeling “blacked out” despite consuming no drugs or alcohol, and waking up on the bed with her clothes removed. She recounted her discomfort and subsequent departure from the hotel room.
Throughout her testimony, Daniels portrayed Trump as arrogant and pompous, recalling an instance where she challenged him, leading to a peculiar dare involving a magazine.
“He was much more polite after that,” Daniels remarked, shedding light on the dynamics of her interactions with the former president.
Trump, who is facing charges of falsifying business records to conceal the hush money payment, maintains his innocence and denies any sexual encounter with Daniels.
