This Thursday, porn actress Stormy Daniels' testimony concluded in the trial against Trump. For more than three hours, the former president's lawyers were in charge of showing the jury the inconsistency of the witness's statements and delving into her motivations for suing Trump and making public the story of their alleged intimate meeting.
We also saw Trump reading his statements outside the court, which suggests that the former president is taking care to avoid breaking the gag order imposed by Judge Juan Merchán, for which he could go to prison.
The credibility of the witness
Questions from Donald Trump's defense to Stormy Daniels focused on the credibility of the witness. They specifically stood out when, in 2018, Daniels claimed that the alleged intimate meeting with Trump was just a rumor. They also reminded her that there is a signed statement in which she claims that she did not have relations with the former president, to which Daniels assured that she did not write it but that she did sign it and that she felt pressured by Michael Cohen at that time.
Another key issue that the former president's defense pointed out was Stormy Daniels' strong motivation to obtain money. The porn actress accepted having received almost a million dollars for her story about her alleged relationship with Trump. Trump's lawyers also highlighted that before signing the confidentiality agreement in 2016, Daniels had the opportunity to tell her story but did not do so because she could not find anyone to buy it. Pointing out that the porn actress's motivation was always to obtain money.
In a curious exchange, the defense also asked Daniels to confirm his past statements about his alleged communication with the dead. The actress stated before the court that she communicates with the dead and that it happens occasionally.
Rick Scott claims Democrats are behind the trial
Florida Senator Rick Scott attended the former president's trial and gave statements outside the court. He assured that the trial is about a "bunch of Democrats" trying to prevent Trump from running a presidential campaign.
"This can not continue. What's happening to this president is wrong. We're watching all over the country, watching all these cases that are going after somebody simply because he's a political opponent of Joe Biden," the Republican said.
Scott also stated that the Democrats are doing this because they cannot compete with Trump, and by not being able to beat him, they seek to prevent him from campaigning. "That is why this is happening. Joe Biden knows, and Democrats know, that he can not win. Joe Biden cannot win this election."
Merchán denies the request to annul the trial and modify the gag order
Trump's team once again requested that the gag order that prevents him from speaking about the witnesses in the case be modified. They asked that the former president be allowed to speak about Stormy Daniels. The former president's lawyer stated that he should be allowed to respond to the porn actress' accusations, especially considering that she has already finished testifying. However, Judge Merchán denied the request.
The former president's defense also once again requested a mistrial after Daniels' statements. The lawyer alleged that the Prosecutor's Office asked a series of questions that should never have taken place in court and were irrelevant to the case. They also stated that being allowed to go into details about intimate matters was "extraordinarily prejudicial for the jury to hear," but Judge Merchán dismissed the motion on Tuesday.
