Porn star Stormy Daniels will face tough questioning from Donald Trump’s lawyers on Thursday as they try to dismantle the credibility of a woman whose story of a 2006 sexual encounter ultimately led to the first criminal trial of a former U.S. president.
Daniels’ unflattering account of sex with Trump riveted jurors on Tuesday, and served to remind U.S. voters of the more lurid aspects of his 2017-2021 presidency as he campaigns to win back the White House this year.
But Trump’s legal team was able to punch some holes in her account.
Under questioning, Daniels admitted that she had not always told the truth about the encounter, and acknowledged that she has refused to pay Trump a judgment of more than $500,000 stemming from a failed defamation lawsuit.
Daniels also did not provide a clear explanation about why she let Trump buy her silence after she decided to go public with her account. She agreed that she hated Trump and wanted to see him imprisoned if he is found guilty.
Trump lawyer Susan Necheles accused Daniels of trying to profit off the encounter and making up parts of her story entirely. Daniels acknowledged that over the years she told some news outlets that she had sex with Trump and told others she had not.
“Isn’t it a fact that what you said depended on who would pay you money?” Necheles asked her.
Daniels said that was not the case.
Trump is charged with falsifying business records to cover up a $130,000 payment to Daniels to keep quiet during his 2016 presidential bid. He has pleaded not guilty and denies ever having sex with Daniels.
