The high-stakes criminal trial of former President Trump is set to resume on Thursday, with the continuation of Stormy Daniels’ cross-examination, despite the denial of Trump’s motion for a mistrial due to her explicit testimony.
Trump’s defense team intends to thoroughly dissect the testimony of the unpredictable witness.
Facing 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree, Trump maintains his plea of not guilty. The charges are the culmination of a lengthy investigation by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, revolving around alleged payments made prior to the 2016 presidential election to silence Daniels regarding an alleged extramarital affair in 2006.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg aims to convince the jury that Trump not only falsified business records concerning hush money payments but did so as part of a broader conspiracy to manipulate the election—a felony charge.
While falsifying business records and conspiracy to influence an election are typically misdemeanor charges, the prosecution seeks to demonstrate the gravity of Trump’s alleged actions.
Trump’s defense team commenced their cross-examination of Daniels, also known as Stephanie Clifford, on Tuesday, probing into the details of her encounter with Trump at a celebrity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe in July 2006. During her testimony, Daniels described the meeting as brief, with limited conversation.
Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger questioned Daniels about her discussions with Trump, to which Daniels responded that there was not much dialogue and that she was introduced as a director of pornographic films.
As the trial progresses, it remains uncertain whether prosecutors will redirect their questioning following the conclusion of the defense’s cross-examination.