Stormy Daniels is standing strong after spending more than seven hours over two days testifying about what happened one night in a Lake Tahoe hotel room with Donald Trump.
And Trump attorney Susan Necheles’ attempt at “slut-shaming” the adult film star during a withering cross-examination has clearly backfired.
Daniels had not posted any new comments on her account on X, formerly known as Twitter, since April 28 while waiting to testify in Trump’s election interference/hush money trial.
But Daniels wasted no time in trolling the former president once she completed her testimony in which she recounted her story about a sexual encounter with Trump in graphic and embarrassing detail.. She dared Trump to testify as a witness in his own defense.
Daniels wrote:
Real men respond to testimony by being sworn in and taking the stand in court. Oh...wait. Nevermind.
Trump is charged with falsifying business records in an effort to pay Daniels to keep silent shortly before the November 2016 presidential election when his campaign was reeling after the release of the “Access Hollywood” tape. The payments were allegedly channeled through his fixer and personal attorney Michael Cohen, who is scheduled to testify on Monday.
Just before jury selection began in his trial, Trump insisted he would be on the witness stand in Manhattan criminal court.
"I would testify, absolutely,” he said April 12 in response to a question from NBC News. “I’m testifying. I tell the truth. I mean, all I can do is tell the truth. And the truth is that there is no case.”
But since then Trump has waffled on the question. At one point, he incorrectly claimed that the gag order barring him from attacking witnesses and jurors meant “I’m not allowed to testify.” But Judge Juan Merchan reminded Trump that has has “an absolute right to testify at trial, if that is what you decide to do after consultation with your attorneys.”
"It is a fundamental right that cannot be infringed upon," Merchan said. He said the gag order pertains only to "statements that are made outside of court. It does not apply to statements made from the witness stand."
But Trump is under no obligation to testify, and leave himself open to a withering cross-examination. And as we’ve seen in past civil trials Trump has a problem handling the truth as a witness.
Duncan Levin, a former prosecutor in the Manhattan district attorney’s office who is now a criminal defense lawyer, told NBC News:
"It's conventional wisdom among defense attorneys that there's a lot of risk to having your client testify, and the risks often outweigh the benefits.” But he added in this case, "traditional rules could be thrown out of the window."
"Nobody knows what he's going to do, including his own lawyers," Levin said of Trump. While his attorneys have most likely advised him not to take the stand, Levin added, "He is an uncontrollable client who has a constitutional right to testify."
And now Daniels is trying to goad Trump into taking the stand by doing what
The New Republic wrote was calling out “Trump’s biggest insecurity.”
And Ryan Goodman, a former special counsel for the Department of Justice, had this post on X in which he wrote that Daniels’ testimony might cause an enraged Trump to violate the gag order if he went public rebuking witness testimony.
Goodman also wrote:
“I wouldn't hold my breath on Trump ever testifying in this trial. It would be enormously self-destructive.”
Indeed, Merchan had to call Trump’s defense attorney to the bench to order him to speak to his client about his “contemptuous” behavior on the first day of Daniels’ testimony.
“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 told defense attorney Todd Blanche during a mid morning break. “It has the potential to intimidate the witness and the jury can see that.”
And as MSNBC reported, Necheles savage cross-examination of Daniels apparently backfired and appeared to have hurt Trump’s defense.
After testifying, Daniels hugged her husband, fellow adult film star Barrett Blade upon returning to her hotel.
Blade posted a message of support: "Cheers to my wife who can’t be rattled when speaking the truth."
Daniels shortly replied back, "Thank you! Lucky to have had you in my life for the last 25 years!”
Well it looks like my April 16 story on DK titled “Stormy Daniels Is an expert at trolling Trump. Her testimony will be a treat” offered a pretty accurate preview of what to expect from Daniels’ testimony. The opening paragraph read:
Donald Trump should really fear adult film star Stormy Daniels’ testimony in his upcoming hush money/election interference trial. Forget the legal analysis you’ll hear from MSNBC pundits. It’s Daniels’ expertise at trolling MAGA cultists combined with her fearlessness and refusal to be slut-shamed that could really get under Trump’s thin skin.