Stormy Daniels takes the witness stand in Trump's trial
Adult film actress Stormy Daniels took the witness stand in what is a notable moment in former U.S. President Donald Trump's hush money trial in New York. The case revolves around charges against Trump for allegedly falsifying business records to conceal hush money payments made to Daniels. The payments are linked to a claim of a sexual encounter between her and Trump in 2006, an encounter Trump has denied. During her testimony, Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, discussed aspects of her life, including her upbringing and career in modeling. She revealed that it was on the advice of her publicist that she had dinner with Donald Trump. Daniels' testimony also touched on her personal interactions with Trump, including a conversation where Trump allegedly dismissed concerns about his then-wife, Melania. Daniels' involvement with Trump, particularly the $130,000 payment made by Trump's then attorney, Michael Cohen, to prevent her from discussing the alleged sexual encounter, is central to this trial. Furthermore, Trump, who has been vocal about his discontent with the trial and the imposition of a gag order on him, was fined $1,000 by Judge Juan Merchan for violating this order. Despite the fine, Trump continued to express his criticisms, particularly against the judge and witnesses, including Daniels, on the Truth Social platform before eventually deleting the post.