During Stormy Daniels’s testimony on Tuesday, Donald Trump seemed visibly affected, his gaze fixed forward with a somber expression. The adult film star openly revealed humiliating specifics about their purported intimate encounter, which clearly unsettled the former president. During a break, Trump expressed his outrage on Truth Social, exclaiming, “THE PROSECUTION, WHICH HAS NO CASE, HAS GONE TOO FAR. MISTRIAL!”
In the courtroom on Tuesday afternoon, Todd Blanche, Trump’s main attorney in the criminal hush money case, also called for a mistrial. Blanche specifically mentioned the testimony of the adult film star, where she claimed that Trump did not wear a condom during their alleged encounter in 2006. Blanche argued that this claim was prejudicial and accused the prosecutors of intentionally asking her questions to “inflame this jury.”
Blanche argued that her testimony caused “pure embarrassment” and it would be difficult for Trump to receive a fair trial. According to NBC News, Blanche stated that jurors should not have been exposed to these allegations because once the bell is rung, it cannot be unrung. Blanche further emphasized that Daniel’s claim of blacking out before having sex with Trump is the type of testimony that is irreparable.
Judge Juan Merchan had his own concerns regarding Daniels’ testimony. He faced several objections from the defense team while she was testifying and acknowledged that she didn’t need to disclose certain details. At one point, he seemed visibly upset with the prosecution. However, he refused the Trump legal team’s request for a mistrial, emphasizing that there are protocols in place. He stated that the defense could have objected to more of her testimony in real-time.
“I don’t believe we have reached the stage where a mistrial is necessary,” Merchan expressed.
According to Manhattan prosecutor Susan Hoffinger, the purpose behind Daniels’ explicit testimony was to shed light on the information that Trump allegedly wanted to keep hidden when he reportedly agreed to pay $130,000 for her silence before the 2016 election.