Here are takeaways from Stormy Daniels' testimony on Tuesday
From CNN's Jeremy Herb,Lauren del ValleandKara Scannell
![Day 13 of Trump New York hush money trial (1) Day 13 of Trump New York hush money trial (1)](https://i0.wp.com/dynaimage.cdn.cnn.com/cnn/digital-images/org/16b84eeb-75f3-4ce6-b60f-8aa67ae7e05d.jpg)
Adult film star Stormy Daniels dished out salacious details of her sexual encounter with former PresidentDonald Trumpin 2006 from the witness stand on Tuesday, describing how they met at a celebrity golf tournament and what she says happened when she went to Trump’s Lake Tahoe hotel room.
In a mostly casual and conversational tone, Daniels recounted details from the floors and furniture in Trump’s hotel room to the contents of his toiletry kit in the bathroom. At one point in court, Daniels threw back her arm and lifted her leg in the witness box to re-create the moment she says Trump posed on his hotel bed for her, stripped down to his undergarments.
But some details Daniels described were so explicit thatJudge Juan Merchancut her off at several points. And Trump’s lawyers argued that Daniels had unfairly prejudiced the jury, asking Merchan to declare a mistrial.The judge denied the request but added that some of the details from Daniels were “better left unsaid.”
Here are takeaways fromDay 13 of the trial:
Hush money came after "Access Hollywood" tape controversy: Daniels would go on to describe how she stayed touch with Trump, even coming to briefly see him at Trump Tower to talk about the “Celebrity Apprentice” reality show. Daniels said that in 2015 after Trump began running for president, her then-publicist Gina Rodriguez tried to sell her story. But Rodriguez didn’t find much interest until after the “Access Hollywood” tape of Trump was released in October 2016 – eventually leading to the discussions with AMI and then Michael Cohen, who paid Daniels $130,000 not to go public with her case.
Judge denies Trump’s mistrial motion: Trump’s lawyers argued the judge should declare a mistrial after the morning of salacious testimony from Daniels. Trump still vehemently denies the allegations, his attorney Todd Blanche said, arguing there was no way to “un-ring that bell” for jurors who have now heard unfairly prejudicial testimony. Blanche argued that the testimony had nothing to do with the district attorney’s case about falsifying business records.
Defense accuses Daniels of lying for profit: Trump attorney Susan Necheles didn’t take long to challenge Daniels’ story in cross-examination, accusing the adult film actress of hating Trump.
- “Am I correct that you hate President Trump?” Necheles asked
- “Yes,” Daniels said.
- “You want him to go to jail?” Necheles continued.
- “I want him to be held accountable,” Daniels responded.
Daniels’body language was tense and her tone notably shifted as Necheles attempted to dismantle her credibility. Daniels gave short, terse answers to many of her questions, defiantly responding “false” and “no” while disputing Necheles’ assertions that she had made up details in her story or that she was trying to extort Trump.
Judge said he won’t tolerate Trump’s cursing and head shaking during Daniels’ testimony, transcript shows
From CNN's Laura Dolan
During the mid-morning break, Judge Juan Merchan called defense attorney Todd Blanche to the bench and ordered him to speak to former President Donald Trump about his “contemptuous” behavior during Stormy Daniels’ testimony Tuesday.
“I understand that your client is upset at this point, but he is cursing audibly, and he is shaking his head visually and that’s contemptuous,” Merchan said to Blanche, according to the court transcript. “It has the potential to intimidate the witness and the jury can see that.”
Merchan said he decided to speak to Blanche at the bench because he did not want to embarrass Trump. “You need to speak to him. I won’t tolerate that,” Merchan said.
Blanche again said he would talk to Trump.
Merchan then described Trump's inappropriate behavior.
“One time I noticed when Ms. Daniels was testifying about rolling up the magazine, and presumably smacking your client, and after that point, he shook his head and he looked down. And later, I think he was looking at you, Mr.Blanche, later when we were talking about "The Apprentice," at that point he again uttered a vulgarity and looked at you this time,” Merchan said.
Here's what happened Tuesday at Trump’s hush money criminal trial
From CNN’s Aditi Sangal
![Day 13 of Trump New York hush money trial (2) Day 13 of Trump New York hush money trial (2)](https://i0.wp.com/dynaimage.cdn.cnn.com/cnn/digital-images/org/98bb16d2-3345-4760-8ece-f037b2a68b52.jpg)
Here are the highlights from Tuesday in court:
Two witnesses on the stand: Adult film actress Stormy Daniels and Sally Franklin, the senior vice president and executive managing editor for Penguin Random House publishing group.
Here’s what to know about their testimonies:
Sally Franklin: The publishing executive was first on the stand and she testified for 46 minutes as a records custodian, pursuant to a subpoena.
- Prosecutors used her testimony to enter excerpts from Trump’s books into evidence.
- Franklin was asked about the role of a ghostwriter in writing the book, and she testified that she didn’t know how much the ghostwriter contributed, but she was aware that the ghostwriter helped.
Stormy Daniels: Before the jury was called in on Tuesday, the defense renewed its objection to her testimony. Judge Juan Merchan said he agreed with Trump's attorneys that she has credibility issues, but that's why the prosecutors need to be given a chance to establish her credibility. He ruled it's fine to elicit that Trump and Daniels had sex."That’s fine. But we don’t need to know the details," he said.
- Daniels said she was subpoenaed.
- First meeting: She described her first meeting with Trump at a Lake Tahoe celebrity golf tournament. Ina hotel room with Trump, she said she had a "very brief" conversation about his wife, Melania. Daniels said Trump mentioned there may be a spot for her on "Celebrity Apprentice." She then went on to describe the details of their sexual encounter in 2006. Afterwards, she said she “left as fast as I could” and said she told "very few people that we had actually had sex because I felt ashamed that I didn’t stop it."
- No confidentiality concerns:Daniels said Trump did not express concern about his wife, Melania, nor did he ask Daniels to keep the encounter confidential.
- Continued interactions:Daniels testified she met Trump at a night club the next day and that she began to speak with him often, at times once a week. She said Trump started calling her “honey bunch,” which she described as “weird.” (Trump has denied the affair.) She also detailed meeting Karen McDougal and seeing Trump a few times in 2007.
- “Access Hollywood” tape: After it came out in 2016, Daniels said she was motivated to get her story out, and later learned from her publicist that Trump and Michael Cohen were interested in buying her story. This marked a shift in her motivations. Daniels wanted to get her story out in 2015, but in 2016, she decided the deal from Trump and Cohen was best, she testified.
- A $130,000 agreement: Daniels says Trump and Cohen offered her $130,000 for her story, adding the agreement was a nondisclosure agreement, which benefited Trump. Daniels said she wanted it done quickly. She said, if it wasn't done before the election, "I wouldn’t be safe or that he wouldn’t pay and there would be a trail to keep me safe." She outlined how the original hush money deal fell apart because the funds weren’t paid on time and that the deal was revived with a new NDA.
- Cross-examination: Under questioning from Trump attorney Susan Necheles, Daniels said that she hated the former president and wanted him to be held accountable. She confirmed she still owed Trump $560,000 in legal fees after she lost the defamation suit against him. Daniels also testified that while she’s made money telling her story, it’s also cost her a lot of money.
What’s next: The defense indicated it will continue cross-examining Daniels on Thursday. Court is dark on Wednesday. Prosecution has also said it will do a round of re-direct.
Here's a timeline of key events in Donald Trump's hush money case
From CNN’s Lauren del Valle, Kara Scannell, Annette Choi and Gillian Roberts
Prosecutors zeroed in on the hush money payment at the center of the case against Donald Trump as Stormy Daniels took the stand today.
Here's a timeline CNN compiled of key events in the case that Daniels was asked about:
- August 2015: Trumpmeets with then-American Media Inc. CEO David Peckerat Trump Tower, prosecutors say, where Pecker agrees to be the “eyes and ears” for Trump’s campaign and flag any negative stories to Trump’s then-fixer Michael Cohen.
- September 2016: Trump discusses a $150,000 hush money payment understood to be for former Playboy model Karen McDougal with Michael Cohen who secretly records the conversation. McDougal has alleged she had an extramarital affair with Trump beginning in 2006, which he has denied.
- October 7, 2016: The Washington Post releases an "Access Hollywood" video from 2005 in which Trump uses vulgar language to describe his sexual approach to women with show host Billy Bush.
- October 27, 2016: According to prosecutors, Cohen pays Daniels $130,000 through her attorney via a shell company in exchange for her silence about an affair she allegedly had with Trump in 2006. This $130,000 sum is separate from the $150,000 paid to McDougal. Trump has publicly denied having any affairs and has denied making the payments.
- November 8, 2016: Trump secures the election to become the 45th President of the United States.
- February 2017: Prosecutors say Cohen meets with Trump in the Oval Office to confirm how he would be reimbursed for the hush money payment Cohen fronted to Daniels. Under the plan, Cohen would send a series of false invoices requesting payment for legal services he performed pursuant to a retainer agreement and receive monthly checks for $35,000 for a total of $420,000 to cover the payment, his taxes and a bonus, prosecutors alleged. Prosecutors also allege there was never a retainer agreement.
- January 2018: The Wall Street Journal breaks news about the hush money payment Cohen made to Daniels in 2016.
See a full timeline and read up on the key players in the case below:
Meanwhile: Federal judge indefinitely postpones Trump classified documents trial
From CNN’s Katelyn Polantz, Hannah Rabinowitz and Holmes Lybrand
Judge Aileen Cannon has indefinitely postponed Donald Trump’s classified documents trial in Florida, citing significant issues around classified evidence that would need to be worked out before the federal criminal case goes to a jury.
In an order Tuesday, Cannon canceled the May trial date and did not set a new date.
Remember: The hush money criminal trial against former President Donald Trump is one offour criminal caseshe faces while juggling his presidential campaign.
Trump says hush money case is a disaster for the DA
From CNN's Maureen Chowdhury
![Day 13 of Trump New York hush money trial (3) Day 13 of Trump New York hush money trial (3)](https://i0.wp.com/dynaimage.cdn.cnn.com/cnn/digital-images/org/1bac1832-dcc4-49d0-b60b-4aeca9fefff0.jpg)
Donald Trump called the prosecution's hush money case against him a disaster in remarks outside of the Manhattan court on Tuesday.
“This was a very big day, a very revealing day as you see their case is totally falling apart. They have nothing on books and records and even something that shouldn’t bear very little relationship to the case — it’s just a disaster for the DA,” Trump said.
Trump did not discuss witness Stormy Daniels while he spoke to reporters.
The former president said he should be campaigning instead of sitting in court and thanked reporters for waiting outside the court all day.
Daniels testified for 3 hours and 44 minutes today
![Day 13 of Trump New York hush money trial (4) Day 13 of Trump New York hush money trial (4)](https://i0.wp.com/dynaimage.cdn.cnn.com/cnn/digital-images/org/a81ba3fe-2db5-43c9-8d61-d92edd594341.jpg)
Stormy Daniels testified for a total of 3 hours and 44 minutes today.
She's expected to return to the stand Thursday to answer more questions from Trump's attorneys.
Daniels says: "I was pushing. I wanted to tell my story"
Before the judge cut her off, attorney Susan Necheles asked Stormy Daniels whether the text messages between her then-agent Gina Rodriguez and Dylan Howard of the National Enquirer showed that she was trying to sell her story.
"I was pushing, I wanted to tell my story, yes," Daniels says.
Judge is dismissing jury for the day
Judge Juan Merchan cuts off Trump attorney Susan Necheles to dismiss the jurors for the day.
"Alright jurors, let's call it a day," he says.