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Stormy Daniels — This week, former President Donald Trump appeared in a Manhattan courtroom to answer allegations of a hush-money payment conspiracy.
Stormy Daniels, an adult film star, allegedly paid Trump to keep quiet about an alleged affair.
The former president pleaded not guilty.
Stormy Daniels has declared her willingness to testify in Trump’s criminal trial in New York.
During an appearance with Piers Morgan, she expressed her willingness to testify against the former president.
“Having them call me in and put me on the stand legitimizes my story and who I am,” said Daniels, making her first comments.
“And if they don’t, it almost feels like they’re hiding me.”
“And people automatically assume – I would – that, ‘Oh, she must not be a good witness, she’s not credible.”
When Morgan asked Daniels if she planned to testify, Daniels said, “Oh, absolutely.”
Charges
Donald Trump pleaded not guilty in Manhattan criminal court on Tuesday to 34 felony charges of tampering with corporation paperwork.
Prosecutors said the actions were part of a plan to conceal payments made to Stormy Daniels during her 2016 presidential campaign.
They were intended to keep her quiet about her past relationship with Trump, which he has consistently denied.
For the time being, Daniels has not been charged with any breaches.
Daniels and Trump
Stormy Daniels stated in an interview on Thursday that if Trump is found guilty, he should not be incarcerated.
The criminal charges leveled against Trump may result in a one- to four-year prison term.
If found guilty, Donald Trump might face probation.
“Specific to my case, I don’t think that his crimes against me are worthy of incarceration,” she said.
Stormy Daniels also weighed in on Trump’s court appearance on Tuesday, saying:
“The king has been dethroned, he’s no longer untouchable.”
“And nobody should be untouchable. It doesn’t matter what your job description is, whether you’re the president.”
“Like you should be held responsible for your actions.”
Stormy Daniels has yet to appear in front of the grand jury overseeing the hush-money inquiry.
She did, however, say she would “love nothing more” than to be questioned as part of the 2021 inquiry.
Her attorney was in contact with Manhattan and New York state officials at the time, she said.
She also mentioned meeting with them to discuss other problems.
Daniels said she would tell a grand jury or investigators all she knew if they contacted her.
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Supporter backlash
Stormy Daniels wrote a tell-all book about the alleged encounter in 2018 and went into great detail about it.
Her lawyer indicated at the time that the objective of the book was to prove that her story about having a sexual connection with Trump was true.
Daniels told Morgan that she has been threatened for a long time by Trump supporters, but the threats have recently become more explicit and precise.
“They’re a lot more passionate – I guess that’s a good word,” she said.
“Enthusiastic with their threats. And they’re not hiding. And they genuinely feel that they are doing something right. That they are patriots.”
“Now they are doing it like a suicide bomber,” Daniels added.
“They truly… in the depths of their soul, they feel like they are doing the right thing.”
Stormy Daniels argues that one of the differences is the way people make threats.
She said that instead of communicating anonymously, they’ve been using their actual email addresses, phone numbers, and social media handles.
Hearing and determination
Donald Trump is expected to run for president as a Republican in 2024, but recent events have given him a mountain to climb.
The case’s next hearing is scheduled on December 4.
A trial may not begin for another year, according to legal experts, and an indictment or conviction would not prevent Trump from running for president.
Stormy Daniels has claimed that if the case goes to trial, she will testify.
“I have nothing to hide,” she said. “I’m the only one that has been telling the truth.”
