CNN Legal Expert Laughs Out Loud At Stormy Daniels’ Testimony, Calls Trump Team ‘Very Effective’

In a heated day at the New York hush money trial, Stormy Daniels took the stand on Tuesday, marking her first day of testimony against former President Donald Trump. The adult film star, central to the criminal case, was pressed on the stand by Trump’s attorneys, leading to tense exchanges that had CNN’s legal experts commenting on the effectiveness of the defense team’s cross-examination.

During the prosecution’s questioning, Daniels detailed her alleged 2006 sexual encounter with Trump and the $130,000 hush money payment from Trump’s former attorney Michael Cohen just before the 2016 presidential election. As the defense probed deeper, Daniels reportedly raised her voice, shouting at one point, “He made fun of me first!” while describing her disdain for Trump and the media scrutiny she’s faced.

Trump, who was present in the courtroom, leaned back in his chair during her testimony, showing a stark contrast to his earlier agitated demeanor. CNN described it as “toddler-like” behavior on display. The defense argued that Daniels’ explicit testimony overstepped the bounds of relevance and sought a mistrial, which the presiding judge denied.

CNN’s legal experts noted the unfolding shift in attitudes throughout the day. Honig pointed out the inversion of reactions between Daniels and Trump. Stormy Daniels has crossed her arms, looking visibly tense and increasingly frustrated, while Trump has visibly relaxed, CNN reported. As Daniels continued to testify, Trump’s attorney mounted a pointed cross-examination, calling into question her credibility, motives, and recollection of events. Daniels struggled at times to maintain composure under the grilling, which saw CNN legal analysts share a laugh over the dramatic back-and-forth.

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The hush money payment, and how Trump reimbursed Cohen, is central to the prosecution’s case that Trump falsified business records to cover up the affair. He faces 34 counts of falsifying business records and has pleaded not guilty, categorically denying the affair with Daniels.

Daniels is the prosecution’s 13th witness in the high-profile trial. Her testimony was intended to solidify the prosecution’s claim that the hush money was a coordinated attempt to conceal damaging information in violation of campaign finance laws. She is anticipated to return to the stand on Thursday to respond to further questions from Trump’s legal team.

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The playacting contrasted with more serious elements of Daniels’ testimony, like when she claimed she told Trump in 2006 about her sexual health. She said she chose to work for her employer Wicked Pictures because the studio had a “condom-mandatory company.”

“At the time you had to be tested every 30 days,” she said according to CNN. “Even when I worked with my husband, I had to use a condom, even though I’m allergic to condoms, latex.”

She added that Trump had “very thought-out business questions” about her career during their meeting at a Lake Tahoe celebrity golf tournament.

“He asked how I got involved in the adult entertainment business,” Daniels says. “He was very interested in how I segued from just being a porn star to writing and directing. He asked about the business aspects of it. ‘Are there any unions, do you get residuals, how are people paid? Do you get health insurance? What about testing? Are you worried about STDs?’ He was very interested in a lot of the business aspects of it which I thought was very cool.”

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