Stormy Daniels Fights Back

Over her two days in court, Stormy Daniels became the can’t-look-away center of the trial of Donald Trump, a man who typically dominates any room he’s in.

On Tuesday, the first day of her more than seven hours of testimony and cross-examination, Daniels told a story in graphic detail of a brief sexual encounter with Trump, down to the lack of a condom, how they had lain on the bed and how she had felt before, during and after.

It was hard to listen to at times, and sometimes hard to follow: Appearing nervous, Daniels often spoke a mile a minute and was warned by the judge, Juan Merchan, to stay on topic.

Today had other jaw-dropping moments, with mentions of Daniels’s career as a ghost hunter and a porn star, several profanities and put-downs, and a discussion of her “Make America Horny Again” tour of strip clubs. (Daniels said she did not like that title.)

But Daniels seemed to gain confidence during cross-examination — which started on Tuesday and continued today — even while facing intense questioning from Susan Necheles, an experienced defense attorney working for Trump. Again and again, as Necheles attempted to expose inconsistencies or suggest Daniels simply wanted money, the witness parried, denying the defense’s assertions and sometimes hitting back with sharp retorts.

In one such feisty exchange, Necheles noted Daniels had “an online store where you sell merchandise,” showing a picture of a “Stormy Saint of Indictments” devotional candle — $40 — that carried an image of her in a biblical robe. (Trump, of course, himself recently made news by hawking “God Bless the U.S.A.” bibles for $59.99.)