Daniels' hush money payment is at the heart of the charges against Trump (2024)

Donald Trump has been accused of taking part in an illegal conspiracy to undermine the integrity of the 2016 election and an unlawful plan to suppress negative information, which included the hush money payment made to adult film star Stormy Daniels to hide an affair.

Before the lunch break, Daniels got into the details of the non-disclosure-agreement she entered into with Trump and briefly touched on the payment, which is at the heart of the charges.

Prosecutors allege that Trump allegedly disguised the transaction as a legal payment and falsified business records numerous times to “promote his candidacy.” Trump faces 34 counts of falsifying business records. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges and denied the affair with Daniels.

Stormy Daniels testified for roughly two hours before the court's lunch break. After describing details of a sexual encounter, Daniels detailed meeting Karen McDougal, seeing Trump a few times in 2007 and what happened when the “Access Hollywood” tape came out.

Here’s what to know about her latest testimony:

They met again in 2007: Daniels met with Trump at the launch of his Trump vodka brand, she testified. "I wanted to maintain that sort of relationship because the chance to be on the 'Apprentice' was still up in the air." Trump gave her a kiss and shook her friend’s hand, she said, adding that it was a public event with hundreds of people there. It was at this same party where Trump introduced her to his friend, who she later learned was Karen McDougal, who also had an alleged affair with Trump..

She didn’t tell her boyfriend: Daniels testified she met with Trump along with her publicist, whom she was dating at the time. She said she didn’t tell her boyfriend about the sexual encounter with Trump because she was “ashamed.” (Trump has denied the affairs).

Why she stopped taking his calls: After meeting Trump in person, once at Trump Tower and once at the Beverly Hills Hotel, where her boyfriend waited outside, Daniels said she didn’t see Trump again. Trump eventually called to tell her he'd been "overruled" and couldn't get her on "The Apprentice" — after that, Daniels said she stopped taking his calls. The one exception, she said, was when he told her he didn't know Jenna Jameson would be on the show. That was the last time she said she spoke to Trump.

Selling her story: After Trump's "Access Hollywood" tape came out in 2016, Daniels said she had conversations with her then-publicist Gina Rodriguez about selling her story. "My motivation wasn’t money. It was to get the story out," she said. Daniels later learned from Rodriguez that Trump and Michael Cohen were interested in buying her story.

A $130,000 agreement: Daniels says Trump and Cohen offered her $130,000 for her story, adding the agreement was a nondisclosure agreement, which benefited Trump. Daniels said she wanted it done quickly. She said, if it wasn't done before the election, "I wouldn’t be safe or that he wouldn’t pay and there would be a trail to keep me safe." The payment, however, came late, she said.

No glances exchanged: Daniels did not look at Trump as she exited courtroom. Attorney Todd Blanche was whispering into Trump's ear when she walked out.

Adultfilm actressStormy Daniels took the stand Tuesday morning in Donald Trump’s criminal hush money trial.

She detailed heralleged one-night standwith Trump as she was questioned by prosecutor Susan Hoffinger. Trump has denied the affair.

Before Daniels' testimony, Sally Franklin was on the stand. Franklin, who works for publishing group Penguin Random House, was called to the stand by prosecutors to introduce excerpts from Trump's books into evidence.

Cameras are not allowed inside the courtroom during proceedings, but these sketches help give an idea of what it looked like.

Stormy Daniels exited the courtroom again without looking at Trump.

Attorney Todd Blanche was whispering into Trump's ear when she walked out.

Judge Juan Merchan is excusing jury for lunch. They'll be back around 2 p.m. ET today.

Stormy Daniels said she was not paid on October 14, 2016, like she was supposed to.

"I didn't know why it was late, he just kept making excuses," Daniels testified.

Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger asked who was making excuses.

"Trump to Cohen to Davidson," Daniels said.

"It wasn’t a financial delay, so it made me more concerned that something bad was going to happen. And if wasn’t done before the election, it was never going to happen," Daniels said.

Stormy Daniels has been testifying for roughly two hours so far.

Stormy Daniels is now explaining the side letter agreement that used fake names — Peggy Peterson for Daniels and and David Dennison for Trump.

Daniels says signed "Stephanie Clifford" under the line Peggy Peterson aka Stephanie Gregory Clifford aka Stormy Daniels. Remember, Stephanie Clifford is Daniels' real name.

The side letter agreement has previously been shown during her former lawyer Keith Davidson's testimony.

The agreement included a handwritten list of nine names of people Daniels told about the encounter with Trump. Daniels confirmed she wrote the list.

Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger is having Stormy Daniels read the side letter agreement email her then-attorney Keith Davidson sent to Michael Cohen on October 11, 2016.

The jury saw this email during Davidson's testimony.

Daniels is asked if she wanted the story out by October 14, which was the deadline in the email

The email expressed dissatisfaction with a delay of funding the agreement. Daniels says she wanted the agreement done quickly because she was concerned about the threat from the Las Vegas man.