Adult star Stormy Daniels took the witness stand on Tuesday in the hush money case against former US President Donald Trump, who looked on as she detailed their alleged sexual encounter at a hotel suite in Lake Tahoe, US, in 2006, and the payment she got to keep it quiet. During the testimony, Daniels recounted her evening with Trump, and said she looked through his toiletry bag while she went to use the bathroom, finding Old Spice and Pert Plus items lying alongside "gold tweezers".
While Trump denies having sex with Daniels, his lawyers unsuccessfully pushed for a mistrial midway through her testimony. Meanwhile, prosecutors alleged Trump paid Daniels to keep quiet about the claims as he ran for President in 2016. Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, is seeking to win the White House again.
STORMY DANIELS TESTIFIES IN COURT
Daniels said Trump was wearing "silk or satin pyjamas" when she first saw him, as he answered the door, prompting her to make a joke about Hugh Hefner, the founder of Playboy magazine. Daniels said she asked Trump to change, and "he obliged, very politely". At one point, Daniels also said she playfully spanked him with a rolled-up magazine.
Daniels said Trump grilled her on her time in the adult industry, asking her if she had been tested for Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs). Daniels also said there was a very brief discussion about Melania, Trump's wife, during which he said they slept in separate rooms.
Daniels said she was sober at the time and did not feel particularly threatened by Trump's presence, while his bodyguard was also present nearby. As she saw Trump in boxers, she said she tried to make a joke and leave, but he stood up between her and the door.
Daniels also said Trump told her she reminded him of "his daughter", who he described as "smart, blond, and consistently underestimated". Though she did not say which daughter, the reference calls to mind Ivanka Trump.
