Former U.S. President Donald Trump is currently facing a criminal trial related to hush money payments made to porn star Stormy Daniels. Daniels has alleged that she had a sexual encounter with Trump in 2006, which Trump denies. The trial is centered around 34 counts of falsifying business records to cover up a $130,000 payment made to Daniels by Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen.
During the trial, Trump's lawyer accused Daniels of profiting off her story and sought to undermine her credibility as a witness. Daniels was questioned about inconsistencies in her various accounts of the alleged encounter, including details she shared in a book and interviews over the years. The defence also questioned Daniels about her financial motives, pointing to her social media posts advertising merchandise around the time Trump was charged last year.
Daniels remained defiant under the aggressive questioning, stating that she needed money to pay her legal bills. She also clarified that she did not control which portions of her accounts were published by news outlets and denied making up the story of the alleged encounter with Trump.
The trial has drawn attention to the more lurid aspects of Trump's presidency and has raised questions about the impact of the allegations on his 2024 presidential campaign. Trump, who is seeking to challenge Democratic President Joe Biden in the upcoming election, has characterized the trial as a politically motivated attempt to interfere with his campaign.
Despite the dramatic testimony and legal maneuvering, the trial is seen as the least consequential of the four criminal prosecutions Trump is facing. The outcome of the trial will have implications for the other cases against Trump, which involve efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss and his handling of classified documents. Trump has pleaded not guilty in all cases.