Adult film star Stormy Daniels grilled by Trump lawyer in hush money trial

NEW YORK — Adult film actor Stormy Daniels took the stand for a second day in the criminal trial against Donald Trump on Thursday, sparring with his lawyer over her motives for signing the settlement and nondisclosure agreement at the center of the trial.

Trump lawyer Susan Necheles' cross examination turned heated over questions aimed at discrediting Daniels.

For example, Necheles pressed Daniels on her role as an adult film director and screenwriter: "So you have a lot of experience making phony stories about sex appear real?"

"The sex is real," Daniels fired back. "That's why it's pornography."

Necheles' line of questioning covered Daniels' strip club tour and interview series, her belief in paranormal activity and her experience directing films about sex. Necheles asked Daniels about her strip club tour — called "Make America Horny Again," a play on Trump's familiar campaign slogan — questioning whether Daniels has profited from her allegations and connection to Trump.

Daniels said it was named despite her wishes and that how clubs were promoted was out of her hands.

And she also asked questions aimed at discrediting her sanity, including whether she believed an old house she lived in was haunted. Daniels said a house she lived in in New Orleans had "unexplained activity," a lot was debunked as caused by a possum living under the house.

The series of questions prompted laughter from the dozens of members of the public in the overflow room who had lined up early outside the courthouse to watch the testimony.

During the heated moments, Trump has been whispering to his lawyers, leaning over the defense table and watching the testimony, while jurors have been looking back and forth from Daniels to Necheles, some