The adult film actress, at the centre of the hush money criminal case against Donald Trump, has had her day in court. Stormy Daniels told jurors explicit details about her alleged affair with the former US President, as he sat just metres away.

New York

Stormy Daniels, the adult film actress embroiled in the hush money criminal case against Donald Trump, has testified in court. Daniels' court appearance, where she shared explicit details of her alleged affair with the former US President, took place with Trump present in the same room, only meters away. The case centers around allegations of a consensual sexual encounter between Daniels and Trump before his presidency and subsequent efforts purportedly made by Trump to silence Daniels.

The basis of the legal scrutiny is not the alleged affair itself but whether the payment made to Daniels to prevent her from discussing their encounter was improperly accounted for in business records. According to prosecutors, the attempt to keep the story from becoming public knowledge just days before the 2016 presidential election could constitute a felony fraud scheme that potentially influenced the outcome of the election.

During her testimony, Daniels recollected meeting Trump at a golf tournament in 2006, which led to an invitation to have dinner in his hotel suite. Descriptions of the encounter included details about Trump’s attire and their conversation prior to having sex. Throughout Daniels’ testimony, Trump, who was in the courtroom, occasionally shook his head in disagreement, especially when Daniels provided unsolicited graphic details. The judge also expressed irritation at some of the explicit content shared during her testimony, although a motion for mistrial requested by Trump's legal team was denied.

Trump's defense strategy included challenging Daniels’ credibility, insinuating that her accusations and decision to come forward were motivated by monetary gain. Throughout the proceedings, the jury remained attentive but showed minimal outward reaction to the testimonies and exchanges within the courtroom.

Daniels’ allegations and the ensuing legal battle highlight the complexity of the case, focusing not on the personal indiscretions but rather on the legal implications of Trump's actions in relation to campaign finance laws and business recordkeeping.



Stormy Daniels testifies during day 13 of Trump’s hush money trial

Donald Trump arrived in court on Tuesday after hinting at knowing who he'd face in the witness stand. He complained in a quickly deleted social media post that his lawyers hadn't been given time to prepare. Then she walked in. Stormy Daniels, the adult film actress and director whose allegations of a consensual sexual encounter with Trump before he was president and his alleged efforts to silence her are at the center of the case. Cameras are banned from the courtroom, but Daniels' testimony mirrored the story she told in this documentary. I walk in, but he wasn't dressed for dinner yet. He was in black silk pajamas, which I promptly made fun of him for. Daniels' testimony went into uncomfortable and sometimes explicit detail about meeting Trump at a 2006 golf tournament during which this photo was taken, then being invited to have dinner with him in a hotel suite and having sex with him. Trump looked straight ahead as she spoke during her hours-long testimony, at times shaking his head, while the judge showed clear agitation when Daniels offered unsolicited details. Trump's lawyers objected many times and asked the judge to declare a mistrial. He denied that motion, but acknowledged some of the evidence Daniels gave would have been better left unsaid. Trump's lawyers then attacked Daniels' credibility, suggesting she was a liar and motivated by money. Throughout the court date, the jury appeared to be engaged, but showed little visible reaction. So this was a very big day, a very revealing day, as you see the case is totally falling apart. They have nothing on books and records and even something that should bear very little relationship to the case. The heart of the criminal case against Trump rests not on whether the affair with Daniels happened, but on whether the hush money he paid her to keep quiet about it was falsely reported on business records. Prosecutors claim keeping the story out of the press just days before the 2016 presidential election amounted to a felony fraud scheme that may have helped Trump become president. Heidi Jocastro, Al Jazeera.

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