Stormy Daniels Testifies in Trump's Criminal Trial
Summary from the AllSides News Team
Adult film star Stormy Daniels testified in former President Donald Trump's hush money trial, recounting their alleged affair back in 2006.
The Details: Daniels described her initial meeting with Trump at a golf tournament, followed by a dinner where Trump casually made dismissive comments about his wife, Melania. Daniels recalled her discomfort during her alleged sexual encounter with Trump, likening her experience to a “jump scare.” Trump's attorney, Todd Blanche, contested Daniels' testimony, stating it was prejudicial toward Trump.
For Context: The former president's trial hinges on a $130,000 hush-money payment to Daniels ahead of the 2016 election. Trump faces 34 felony counts for allegedly falsifying records to hide the payment. Daniels alleges she received the money out of fear of the story breaking and Trump retaliating against her.
How the Media Covered It: Live coverage was common in mainstream outlets across the spectrum, often echoing partisan attitudes about Trump. Some on the left took a more critical and sensational approach; one MSNBC (Left bias) opinion framed the story as emblematic of “the madness of the broader political circumstances.” Sensationalism was not limited to the left, however; the New York Post (Lean Right bias) featured the tagline “EYE OF THE STORMY” on its homepage. Others on the right focused on Trump’s attorney calling for a mistrial, potentially invoking beliefs that the trial is an example of persecution against Trump. This summary was developed with the help of AllSides' AI technology.
Featured Coverage of this Story
From the Center
Stormy Daniels offers unflattering testimony about sex with TrumpPorn star Stormy Daniels described her 2006 encounter with Donald Trump in unflattering terms at his criminal trial on Tuesday, 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...
From the Left
Silk pajamas, spanking and questions about STDs: Stormy Daniels details sexual encounter with TrumpAdult film actress Stormy Daniels took the witness stand at former President Donald Trump's New York criminal trial on Tuesday, testifying under oath about the sexual encounter she says she had with Trump in 2006 and the $130,000 deal for her silence that was struck during the closing days of the 2016 presidential campaign.
Daniels described parts of the 2006 encounter in detail and said at one point she thinks she "blacked out" and that Trump did not use a condom. That led Trump attorney Todd Blanche to "move for a mistrial" when...
From the Right
Judge warns prosecutors about ‘degree of detail’ during Stormy Daniels’ salacious testimony as jurors struggle to keep straight facesThe judge at Donald Trump’s hush money trial scolded prosecutors about the “degree of detail” Stormy Daniels went into as she delivered racy, animated testimony in Manhattan court Tuesday.
Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan sustained an objection by Trump’s lawyers to the graphic testimony from Daniels — born Stephanie Clifford — noting “the degree of detail” was “unnecessary.”
Jurors struggled to keep a straight face as Daniels described once spanking the former president with a magazine, but they did not visibly react when she recounted having sex with Trump, 77, on a hotel...
AllSides Picks
May 19th, 2024
May 17th, 2024
May 14th, 2024
May 14th, 2024