Stormy Daniels, who said she had an affair with Donald Trump 18 years ago, has responded to a claim that the former president's criminal trial is "falling apart."
Trump pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in relation to a payment of $130,000 he arranged for Michael Cohen, his lawyer at the time, to give the adult film star to keep an alleged affair she had with the former president a secret ahead of the 2016 election.
The money was listed in Trump's company records as "legal fees," which prosecutors suggested was part of an unlawful attempt to influence the outcome of the 2016 race. Trump, the presumptive 2024 Republican presidential nominee, has said he reimbursed Cohen for the payment, but he denies all wrongdoing—saying the trial is part of a political witch hunt that seeks to derail his White House bid.
The trial, which began in New York on April 15, is set to continue this week. On April 28, a user on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, commented on a post Daniels had made unrelated to the legal proceedings, writing, "This case is falling apart in real time and your ability to remain relevant with it." She responded: "Ummm....? Are you watching the same case that just had TWO witnesses prove everything I've been saying is the truth?"
David Pecker—the former head of American Media, which published the National Enquirer—was the first witness to take the stand in the trial. Pecker discussed setting up an arrangement to help stop negative stories about Trump from coming out ahead of the 2016 election.
While under oath, Pecker said he had concerns about the legality of performing a so-called "catch and kill" by paying Playboy model Karen McDougal $180,000 to prevent a story about an alleged affair between her and the former president from being published before the election.
Rhona Graff, Trump's former assistant at the Trump Organization, was then called to the stand on April 26 for a short testimony. After her witness account, Gary Farro—a former First Republic banker who worked with Cohen, who has since become a Trump critic—was called to the stand. Farro told the court that Cohen was assigned to him as a client in 2015 because of his "knowledge and ability to handle clients many people find challenging."
In her initial X post Sunday, Daniels wrote, "Such a beautiful afternoon at the farm ... Just finished reviewing some footage from the TV show I'm directing and making some notes. Now I'm watching my horses graze and packing up merch orders to ship out tomorrow morning."
In responding to the user's claim that the case was falling apart, she also said, "One of those witnesses was even his personal assistant. Does it hurt to be in such denial of the facts?"
Ummm....? Are you watching the same case that just had TWO witnesses prove everything I've been saying is the truth?...and one of those witnesses was even his personal assistant. Does it hurt to be in such denial of the facts? https://t.co/mQEMfBvpSh
— Stormy Daniels (@StormyDaniels) April 28, 2024
Newsweek has contacted Daniels and a representative for Trump for comment via email.
On her podcast, Beyond the Norm, Daniels said in January that she was "set to testify" during the trial.
Prior to Daniels' X post, Mary Trump, the former president's estranged niece, said in a Substack post that her uncle was stuck in a deepening "legal quagmire."
Weighing in on the trial, Mary Trump—daughter of Donald Trump's brother Fred Trump—wrote in the April 25 post, "Prosecutors have been constructing a robust case, which the defense has, so far, been unable to challenge effectively."
Under a section titled "The long arm of justice: Donald's legal quagmire deepens," the younger Trump continued: "We're just seeing the tip of the iceberg and we have another four to six weeks to go, with testimony to be heard, potentially from Michael Cohen, Karen McDougal, and others. But at least the wheels of justice are turning in New York.
"And, of course, there is still the possibility that he will be found in contempt. This morning, prosecutors entered an additional four instances of Donald having broken Justice Merchan's gag order and he still has to rule on the first eleven."
Citing a report from ABC News, she added, "The Secret Service has even reportedly begun planning for the possibility of Donald serving time in jail."
In addition to Donald Trump's criminal trial in Manhattan, the U.S. Supreme Court is currently hearing arguments on the former president's claims of presidential immunity in connection to his federal indictment for alleged election interference.
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