Stormy Daniels, the porn star at the heart of Donald Trump's historic criminal trial, testified Tuesday -– in sometimes explicit detail –- about an alleged 2006 sexual encounter with the former president in a hotel penthouse suite.
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Trump, 77, is accused of falsifying business records to reimburse his lawyer, Michael Cohen, for a $130,000 hush money payment to Daniels on the eve of his 2016 election against Hillary Clinton, when the lurid story of marital infidelity could have sunk his campaign.
"The people call Stormy Daniels," prosecutor Susan Hoffinger said as Trump, who is seeking to recapture the White House in November, sat at the defense table in the Manhattan courtroom flanked by his lawyers.
What followed was detailed testimony about the sexual encounter Daniels said she had with Trump -– his boxer shorts, the sexual position, that he did not wear a condom -– all while the former president stared on, stony faced.
Trump has denied the affair, and his defense team tried -- unsuccessfully -- to have a mistrial declared, citing the "extremely prejudicial" nature of Daniels's testimony.
Speaking to reporters after the day's proceedings, Trump called the case a "disgrace" and said he "should be out campaigning right now."
Judge Juan Merchan has imposed a gag order on Trump prohibiting him from publicly attacking witnesses and the ex-president did not comment directly on Daniels's appearance on the stand.
However during a sidebar conversation in the courtroom, Merchan told Trump's lawyers the Republican was "cursing audibly" and shaking his head during Daniels's testimony, warning such behavior -- which he said had "potential to intimidate the witness" -- would not be tolerated.
Trump is facing four criminal cases, and he received a dose of good news on Tuesday when a federal judge in Florida indefinitely postponed the start of his trial on charges of mishandling classified documents.
District Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee, said the planned May 20 trial date was not possible because of the number of pre-trial motions. She did not set a new trial date.
- 'Intention was pretty clear' -
The extraordinary courtroom face-off between Daniels and Trump comes six months before election day, when he will try to defeat President Joe Biden.
Daniels, 45, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, said she met Trump at a celebrity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe.