Stormy Daniels is “absolutely ready” to testify at former President Donald Trump’s New York hush money trial, the adult film actress — whose hush money payment sits at the center of Trump’s criminal case — told ABC’s “The View” on Thursday.
“I’m absolutely ready. I’ve been ready. I’m hoping with all of my heart that they call me because … I don’t need someone to speak for me,” Daniels said. “I relish the day that I get to face him and speak my truth.”
Daniels made the appearance on “The View” to promote a new documentary about her life before and after her now-infamous interaction with Trump.
Defense lawyers have attempted to prevent Daniels from serving as a witness at trial by arguing her testimony would be salacious and prejudicial to the jury. The judge overseeing the case, Juan Merchan, denied Trump’s efforts this week in a ruling that cleared the way for testimony from Daniels, Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen, and two others who received hush-money payments ahead of the 2016 election.
Trump last April pleaded not guilty to a 34-count indictment charging him with falsifying business records in connection with a $130,000 hush money payment Cohen made to Daniels just days before the 2016 presidential election.
Jury selection for the trial is currently scheduled to get underway in mid-April in New York City. The former president has denied all wrongdoing.
“Locating and purchasing the information from Daniels not only completes the narrative of events that precipitated the falsification of business records but is also probative of the Defendant’s intent,” Judge Merchan wrote.
Stormy Daniels appears on ABC’s “The View,” March 21, 2024.
Lou Rocco/ABC
Trump and his lawyers have criticized Cohen’s reliability as a witness and have argued that Daniels might try to “monetize her status as a witness” by creating publicity to promote her recent documentary.
In her appearance Thursday, Daniels defended her recollection of her encounter with Trump.
“What do you call it when you come out of a bathroom as a lady, and you’re not expecting someone to be there, and in front of you is a man in his underwear between you and the door. And you go to go around, and he stands there. What is that called?” Daniels said, partially recounting her 2006 sexual encounter with Trump.
While Daniels said she now remembers more information about the discussion she had with Trump that day, she said the main details of the story are unchanged.
“Why is it the same story? Because I’m telling the truth, and I haven’t changed my story,” Daniels said. “Those details are burned into my soul forever.”
After her interaction with Trump became public, Daniels said her life fundamentally changed. She received more opportunities to perform across the county and author a book, but she also began receiving threats and feared for the safety of her daughter and loved ones.
While those threats began to slow in the years following Trump’s presidency, she told “The View” that Trump’s New York indictment reignited those issues.
“Suddenly the indictment happens … it was like 2018 all over again, except now they’re more vicious because they’ve been encouraged,” Daniels said. “They’re more like suicide bombers this time around, where they honestly truly believe that they are being patriotic and that I am like the devil,” she said.
Though she says she is eager to testify at trial, Daniels said that she looks forward to the day when the attention fades and she can return to a life that doesn’t impact her loved ones.
“I want to not be a danger to everybody that I care about and everybody that I love,” Daniels said. “I want to be able to live a life where my friends aren’t collateral damage, and I don’t know if that is ever going to happen.”
Stormy Daniels, the adult film star who alleges she had an affair with President Donald Trump, has recently expressed her willingness to testify at a trial involving the hush money payment made to her by Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen. This development comes as a significant development in the ongoing legal saga surrounding the alleged affair and the efforts to cover it up.
Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, has been at the center of a legal battle with Trump and his associates since she went public with her claims of an affair in 2018. She has alleged that she was paid $130,000 in hush money by Cohen just days before the 2016 presidential election in exchange for her silence about the affair. Trump has denied the affair and any knowledge of the payment, but Cohen has since pleaded guilty to campaign finance violations related to the payment.
In a recent interview, Daniels stated that she is prepared to testify at a trial involving the hush money payment and is eager to have her day in court. She emphasized that she wants to set the record straight and hold those responsible for the payment accountable. Daniels has been a vocal critic of Trump and has accused him of trying to intimidate her into silence.
The prospect of Daniels testifying at a trial involving Trump’s hush money payment raises questions about the potential legal implications for the president and his associates. If Daniels were to testify under oath, her testimony could provide valuable evidence in any legal proceedings related to the payment. It could also potentially expose Trump to further legal scrutiny and political fallout.
The legal battle between Daniels and Trump has already had significant consequences for both parties. The affair allegations and the hush money payment have tarnished Trump’s reputation and raised questions about his character and integrity. For Daniels, the legal battle has brought unwanted attention and scrutiny to her personal life and career.
As the legal saga continues to unfold, all eyes will be on Daniels and her potential testimony at a trial involving Trump’s hush money payment. Her willingness to speak out and seek justice in this matter is a testament to her courage and determination to hold those in power accountable. Only time will tell what impact her testimony will have on the legal proceedings and on the political landscape as a whole.
