So started the serious and steadily uncomfortable testimony of Ms. Daniels, who spent nearly 5 hours in a Manhattan court on Tuesday recounting her tale of a 2006 come upon with Donald J. Trump and the following hush-money cover-up that has change into the bedrock of the prosecution’s case.
Ms. Daniels spoke briefly and at duration about her first assembly with Mr. Trump at a star golfing event in Lake Tahoe, Nev.
After the lunch spoil, Mr. Trump’s legal professional Todd Blanche moved for a mistrial, arguing that the prosecution’s questions had been designed to embarrass Mr. Trump and prejudice the jury.
The pass judgement on, Juan M. Merchan, agreed that a few of Ms. Daniels’s testimony “may have been better left unsaid,” however denied a mistrial.
The former president is accused of falsifying industry information to hide up a $130,000 cost to Ms. Daniels simply sooner than the 2016 election. Mr. Trump, 77, has denied the costs and says he didn’t have intercourse with Ms. Daniels. If convicted, he may just face jail time or probation.
Here are six takeaways from Mr. Trump’s thirteenth day on trial.
Prosecutors took a chance with their witness.
Jurors heard a shiny account of the Lake Tahoe come upon and met the lady who gained the hush-money deal. This may just provide a chance for prosecutors, relying on whether or not the jury considered Ms. Daniels’s tale as prurient or robust.
Ms. Daniels described assembly Mr. Trump on the golfing tournament and accepting his dinner invitation after her publicist mentioned: “What could possibly go wrong?”
She recalled that Mr. Trump used to be dressed in pajamas when she met him at his resort suite, and that she requested him to switch. They mentioned the porn trade, and he requested about residuals, unions and S.T.D. checking out.
She mentioned they mentioned his circle of relatives, together with his daughter, whom he likened to Ms. Daniels — “People underestimate her as well,” Ms. Daniels recalled him pronouncing. They additionally mentioned his spouse; Mr. Trump mentioned they didn’t “even sleep in the same room.” He recommended Ms. Daniels would possibly seem on “The Apprentice.”
When she later emerged from the toilet, Ms. Daniels discovered Mr. Trump partly undressed, she mentioned. The intercourse used to be consensual, she mentioned, however there used to be an influence “imbalance.”
Trump gained some other caution.
Justice Merchan has already held the previous president in contempt 10 occasions, fined him $10,000 and two times threatened to ship him to prison. On Tuesday, Mr. Trump once more drew the pass judgement on’s ire after Justice Merchan mentioned he were “cursing audibly” and “shaking his head.”
The pass judgement on requested Mr. Trump’s attorneys privately to speak to their shopper, pronouncing Mr. Trump’s movements would possibly intimidate the witness, Ms. Daniels.
“You need to speak to him,” the pass judgement on mentioned. “I won’t tolerate that.”
The purpose for the payoff is some degree of rivalry.
Prosecutors requested Ms. Daniels a couple of 2018 remark through which she denied the sexual come upon. Ms. Daniels mentioned she had now not sought after to signal it and that it used to be now not true.
Defense attorneys, capitalizing on what they appear to understand as Ms. Daniels’s shortcomings as a witness, got here out blazing. One of them, Susan Necheles, implied in her cross-examination that Ms. Daniels used to be seeking to “extort money” from Mr. Trump.
Ms. Daniels responded sharply: “False.”
Daniels’s tale bothers Trump.
Before courtroom even began Tuesday morning, Trump telegraphed his frustration with Ms. Daniels in an offended post on Truth Social, pronouncing he had simply realized a couple of coming witness and that his attorneys had “no time” to organize. The post used to be got rid of in a while thereafter, in all probability on account of issues over violating the gag order.
Mr. Trump, who has spent a lot of the trial together with his eyes closed, remained attentive for a part of the day, steadily with a bitter expression on his face. He frequently whispered to his attorneys and at one level mouthed an expletive.
But by the afternoon, he had returned to his addiction of ultimate his eyes, even all the way through a combative cross-examination.
Daniels’s credibility is a hurdle for prosecutors.
Ms. Daniels’s motivations are a big focal point of the protection. In a pointy second, Ms. Necheles faced her about her hatred of the previous president, and requested whether or not she sought after him to visit prison. Ms. Daniels spoke back: “I want him to be held accountable.”
Ms. Necheles additionally requested Ms. Daniels about being profitable by claiming to have had intercourse with Mr. Trump. Ms. Daniels spoke back, “I’ve been making money by telling my stories,” later including, “It has also cost me a lot of money.”
Trump’s phrases hang-out him.
Prosecutors have attempted a number of occasions to make use of Mr. Trump’s prior statements in opposition to him.
Before Ms. Daniels testified Tuesday, a witness learn aloud passages of books by Mr. Trump. Some spoke to his frugality. Others spoke to his penchant for revenge.
“For many years I’ve said that if someone screws you, screw them back,” the witness learn. The passage endured: “When somebody hurts you, just go after them as viciously and as violently as you can.”
Not lengthy after, one among his enemies — Ms. Daniels — took the stand. Her cross-examination resumes on Thursday.