Stormy Daniels describes an awkward and unexpected ‘sexual encounter’ with Donald Trump | US News

Porn star Stormy Daniels has described to jurors an unpleasant and unexpected sexual encounter she allegedly had with Donald Trump in 2006.

Ms. Daniels testified in the former president’s criminal trial over hush money she was paid to keep quiet about the alleged encounter during the presidential campaign.

But it wasn’t all bad news for Mr. Trump. On the day the court heard from Ms. Daniels, his trial in Florida, scheduled for May 20, on charges of illegally storing classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago residence after he left office, was indefinitely suspended by a federal judge Time postponed.

Ms Daniels, 45, said in the “hush money” trial that she tried not to think about having sex with him while it was allegedly taking place.

Trump trial as it happened: Angry ex-president calls for mistrial over ‘difficult to control’ witness Stormy Daniels

Mr. TrumpThe 76-year-old stared straight ahead as she entered the courtroom, occasionally shaking his head and whispering to his lawyer.

After the lunch break, Mr Trump’s defense lawyers called for a mistrial over what they said were biased and irrelevant comments.

The judge denied the defense’s request, saying defense attorneys should have raised more objections during testimony.

Later in the day, the Trump team took the opportunity to question Ms. Daniels to portray her as motivated by personal hatred of the former president and hoping to profit from her claims against him.

“Am I correct that you hate President Trump?” defense attorney Susan Necheles asked.

“Yes,” Ms. Daniels confirmed.

Hush money payment

In the final weeks of Mr Trump’s 2016 Republican presidential campaign, his then-lawyer and personal arbiter Michael Cohen paid Ms Daniels $130,000 (£103,000) to keep quiet about what she said was an unpleasant and unexpected sexual encounter with Mr Trump at a celebrity golf course to preserve trip to Lake Tahoe in July 2006.

Mr. Cohen pleaded guilty to campaign finance violations related to the payments in 2018 and served more than a year in prison – with federal prosecutors saying he acted at the direction of Mr. Trump.

Mr. Trump, the Republican presidential nominee also this year, has pleaded not guilty to charges of falsifying business records to cover up the payment and has denied having sex with Ms. Daniels.

Imbalance of power

Ms Daniels described how a first meeting at the golf tournament, where they discussed the adult film industry, led to a “brief” sexual encounter, which she said Mr Trump initiated after inviting her to dinner and back to his hotel suite.

She said she didn’t feel physically or verbally threatened during the encounter, but she perceived a power imbalance because Mr. Trump was “bigger and blocking the way.”

She said that after it was over, she “had a hard time getting my shoes” because my hands were shaking so badly.

“He said, ‘Oh, it was great. Let’s get back together, darling,'” Ms. Daniels said. “I just wanted to leave.”

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Daniels expected to return to the witness stand

Mr. Trump was charged with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in connection with the hush money payments.

At the end of the day, Trump said outside court: “This was a very big day, a very eye-opening day. As you can see, her case fails completely.”

Ms Daniels is expected to return to the witness stand when the trial resumes tomorrow.