Porn star Stormy Daniels set to testify in Trump trial / Photo: HECTOR RETAMAL - AFP/File
-
RBI Data Reveals Divergence in Credit Card Spending and Debit Card Cash Withdrawals
-
First-time boat buyers advised to assess full ownership costs
-
Panthers expected to begin 2027 NRL season away from new stadium
-
Planning and preparation can reduce stress of interstate relocation
-
Sweet As app launches restaurant discovery platform
-
Two more arrested in Carrie Mullane suspected murder investigation
-
Phoenix Restaurants Offer Thanksgiving Dinner to Go for Pickup
-
MLA seeks inquiry into reported sectarian gestures on Ormeau Road
-
Mayo school appeals for information after convent and chapel vandalism
-
Louise O’Reilly attacks Simon Harris over unemployment remarks
-
Virginia overwhelms Arkansas 91-72 behind balanced scoring
-
Canadian soldier Aidan Goulding remembered at Vancouver funeral
-
Second major storm brings destructive winds and outages to British Columbia
-
Tayyab Arif hits 57 on Pakistan Test debut against Sri Lanka
-
Godzilla Minus Zero leads North American box office with $31.6m
-
Robert Trujillo discusses literacy and social justice children’s books
-
Advocate calls for coordinated support for children facing trafficking
-
Civil rights advocate William Bill Tucker dies aged 98
-
Medicare Open Enrollment Ends Dec. 7: Review Your Coverage Options
-
Pennsylvania Democrats secure state trifecta in midterm elections
-
US Treasury order targets bank transfers linked to crypto exchange MEXC
-
Godzilla Minus Zero sets foreign-language box-office opening record
-
Nvidia CEO Controversy Sparks Fears of Tighter U.S. AI Chip Curbs for Samsung and SK hynix
-
Eagles record six sacks as rushing attack struggles against Giants
-
Villeneuve teases James Bond casting at Los Angeles museum gala
-
Thames Water seeks to delay £12bn in debt repayments
-
Nottinghamshire launches specialist rural crime policing team
-
Newark boxing gym expands alternative education programme
-
China confirms talks over possible Xi-Putin-Trump summit
-
Democrats consider impeachment drive against Defence Secretary Hegseth
-
Rail journey offers a slower route to a Berlin city break
-
Energy bill plan could use HMRC income data to target support
-
Arsenal control title race as Manchester United fall into bottom three
-
Business owner earning £6,000 a month tackles £70,000 debt
-
Suspected Krakow gunman dies after attack that killed six
-
Nvidia chief faces inquiry after disclosing affair with suspected Chinese agent
-
Carrick backs Dalot after hostile reception from Manchester United fans
-
Comet returns as online electrical marketplace 14 years after collapse
-
Aston Villa Defy History With Rare Victory at Old Trafford
-
Brussels Education Unions Schedule Major November Protest Over Funding and Reforms
-
Crowds Gather at San Francisco Park for Elizabeth Holmes Lookalike Tournament
Porn star Stormy Daniels set to testify in Trump trial
Stormy Daniels, the porn actress at the heart of Donald Trump's hush money trial, was due to testify against the ex-president Tuesday, US media said, in a blockbuster moment in the courtroom drama rocking the scandal-plagued Republican's attempt to recapture the White House.
Daniels, a longtime actor and director in the adult film industry, says she had a sexual encounter with Trump in 2006 and was then paid to keep quiet about it to avoid a final-hour upset of his 2016 election victory against Hillary Clinton.
Prosecutors say that Trump -- desperate to kill the story before it could sink his chances in the narrow race -- illegally covered up the so-called hush money payment. He is charged with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.
Trump, who denies ever meeting Daniels for sex, says the $130,000 payment was entirely legal. After growing speculation that she would take the stand, multiple US media outlets reported she was on the schedule for Tuesday.
This will be the first time that Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, will come face to face in the trial with the ex-president who has spent years insulting her, including while serving in the White House.
And their courtroom face-off comes exactly six months before election day, when Trump will try to defeat President Joe Biden for a shock return to power.
Trump, 77, will be constrained from attacking Daniels after Judge Juan Merchan on Monday found him in contempt of court for his repeated violations of a partial gag order.
The order is meant to prevent Trump from using his huge media presence to attack witnesses and members of the court in a bid to influence the trial. Merchan said that in addition a series of already imposed fines, Trump will face the threat of jail time for future violations.
In a post early Tuesday on his Truth Social app, which was then quickly deleted, Trump angrily complained that he had "just recently been told who the witness is today."
"This is unprecedented, no time for lawyers to prepare," he claimed, going on to describe the judge as "CROOKED & HIGHLY CONFLICTED."
The trial is the first criminal prosecution in history of a US president and is one of four cases pending, including a long-delayed trial on charges that Trump attempted to overturn the results of the 2020 election in which he lost to Biden.
M.A.Colin--AMWN
