Stormy Daniels taunts Trump by saying ‘real men’ respond to testimony by taking stand

Get Exclusive US Coverage And Analysis With Inside Washington's Daily Email

Sign Up For Our Inside Washington Newsletter - It's Free!

After finishing her court testimony against Donald Trump in his hush money case in Manhattan, Stormy Daniels teased him about "authentic men" testifying in court.

She wrote on X, saying "Men who are truly brave would testify under oath and speak in court after hearing the testimony given. Oh, hold on. Scratch that."

She made her remarks following Mr. Trump's criticism of the judge in the lawsuit for denying his legal team's plea for a new trial, citing Ms. Daniels' declaration.

On Thursday, Todd Blanche, the attorney of the ex-president, made a request for a mistrial. He claimed that Ms. Daniel had altered her narrative and was given the opportunity to give evidence on topics that were not related to the case.

He also requested the judge to exempt Mr Trump from his restriction on speaking so that he can publicly defend himself against her testimony. Judge Juan Merchan declined both appeals.

The request for a gag order was not only about safeguarding Ms Daniels or a witness who had already given testimony, but also about ensuring the overall integrity of the legal process, according to Judge Merchan.

On Thursday, Mr Trump criticized the judge's ruling and described it as a shameful act.

"I have not committed any wrongdoing and I am currently being detained in this courthouse with a judge who is lacking in integrity," he informed journalists present at the courthouse.

Ms Daniels said that he should give his own testimony in response to hers. It's still uncertain whether or not Mr Trump will do so in his defense. If he does choose to testify, he will be subjected to questioning from the opposing lawyers.

When Ms. Daniels gave evidence, she was questioned in detail by Susan Necheles, the lawyer representing Mr. Trump. The questions focused on the agreement worth $130,000 that Ms. Daniels had signed with Michael Cohen, who was Mr. Trump's attorney at the time near the end of the 2016 election.

The payment is the main focus of Mr. Trump's trial. He is being accused of altering business records to conceal the payment of hush money to Ms. Daniels. The purpose of the payment was to prevent her from disclosing an affair they had ten years prior.

Donald Trump denied having an affair and refuted all the accusations made against him.

Ms Necheles tried to challenge the reliability of the recent sworn statements made by Ms Daniels regarding the supposed sexual encounter with Mr Trump back in 2006 in a Lake Tahoe hotel room. Ms Daniels had said earlier in a 2011 interview that she had dinner with Mr Trump, but now denies ever having eaten with him.

Ms Daniels stated that she had dinner in her room, although they did not receive any food and did not consume anything. During re-direct examination, Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger pointed out that the article containing the 2011 interview had undergone minor modifications.

Ms. Necheles attempted to challenge Ms. Daniels' assertion of feeling frightened upon seeing Mr. Trump waiting for her in bed in a T-shirt and boxers after she came out of the restroom. Ms. Necheles suggested that Ms. Daniels should not have been surprised to see Mr. Trump in his underwear seeking sexual activity because she is accustomed to encountering unclothed men in her profession.

She asked, "You have performed and had intercourse in more than 200 adult movies, correct?" "And there are scenes where both men and women are naked and engaging in sexual activity in those movies?... So you're telling me that just the sight of a man wearing a T-shirt and boxer shorts sitting on a bed made you so disturbed that you felt dizzy and nearly passed out?"

"When a man double your age comes unexpectedly, it can be surprising," Ms Daniels responded.

During a different conversation, Ms. Necheles aimed to delegitimize Ms. Daniels' statement by insinuating that her account of the supposed sexual incident was completely fabricated.

"Your profession for more than two decades involved the creation, portrayal, and direction of films that depict sexual content," inquired Ms. Necheles. "You possess a considerable amount of proficiency in rendering fabricated narratives surrounding sex seem authentic, correct?"

Ms. Daniels remained cool and composed when confronted with tough questions, responding with witty comebacks directed at Ms. Necheles.

"Amazing," Ms. Daniel responded, taking a moment to chuckle.

"I wouldn't phrase it like that," she expressed. "The sexual acts portrayed in those movies are undeniably authentic - similar to what occurred in that hotel room."

She stated: "If the aforementioned story were false, I would have composed it with greater proficiency."