Trump attorney Susan Necheles recently went after Stormy Daniels by reckoning her adult films indicate she’s lying about sex with former President Donald Trump. However, Daniels turned the tables with a devastating rejoinder via Mediaite.
The defense cross-examination resumed Thursday at Trump’s hush money election interference trial with questioning by Necheles that many saw as attuned for Trump’s benefit.
While Tuesday’s cross was seen as highly effective for the defense, Thursday’s continuation did not go as well according to many observers. It was noted that on Thursday’s edition of CNN’s branded coverage of the trial, anchors and legal experts ripped Necheles for a “slut-shaming” and “meandering” cross that they said was “hurting” Trump’s defense.
Co-anchor Kaitlan Collins flagged one exchange that seemed to sum up the criticism, and which was recounted in CNN’s live updates.
Necheles has advanced the dubious premise that performing in adult films is an indication of dishonesty, and Daniels fired back with a response that took the jury back into the hotel room that was the setting for so much damaging testimony:
Stormy Daniels being asked if she fabricated story about Trump
Trump attorney Susan Necheles is asking Stormy Daniels about her history making porn movies.
“You have a lot of experience of making phony stories about sex appear to be real,” Necheles says.
“Wow,” Daniels says with a pause. “That’s not how I would put it. The sex in the films is very much real just like what happened to me in that room.”
They’re sparring over whether Daniels made up the story with Donald Trump.
“If that story was untrue, I would have written it to be a lot better,” Daniels said.
Jonah Bromwich of The New York Times called it an “all-important” exchange in live updates with Maggie Haberman:
Jonah Bromwich
May 9, 2024, 10:38 a.m. ET
An all-important exchange just now: Susan Necheles asks Stormy Daniels about her experience making porn films. “You have a lot of experience in making phony stories about sex appear to be real,” she says. Daniels responds, “That’s not how I would put it.” She is momentarily taken aback, then adds, “The sex in the films is very much real, just like what happened to me in that room.” What jurors make of this — and of the accusation that pornography is akin to fabricating from whole cloth a sexual encounter — is incredibly important.
Maggie Haberman
May 9, 2024, 10:39 a.m. ET
Necheles is belittling Daniels’s work in a way that is intended to suggest she is lying about having had sex with Trump.
Jonah Bromwich
May 9, 2024, 10:39 a.m. ET
Daniels responds quickly to this particular line of questioning and has used at least one very memorable line: Necheles implies directly that she made up her story of sex with Trump. But if it weren’t true, Daniels replies, “I would have written it to be a lot better,” drawing laughter in the courtroom.
