Campaign Report — Trump's Stormy week

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View Online Campaign Report Campaign Report The Big Story  Trump's Stormy week Adult film actor Stormy Daniels's testimony in former President Trump's hush money trial wrapped Thursday after detailing her alleged 2006 sexual encounter with him for the duration of more than six hours across two days.  © Nordin Catic, Cambridge Union via Getty Images; David Dee Delgado, Reuters Bloomberg Trump attorney Susan Necheles took aim at Daniels's credibility in a spirited, often-salacious back-and-forth, questioning Daniels's racy profession, her other unusual money-making endeavors and her brash demeanor.    The two sparred over whether pornography is a venue for lying and the merits of being a paid medium, in some of the most colorful moments.    "You have a lot of experience of making phony stories about sex appear to be real," Necheles said of Daniel's pornography career.    "Wow," Daniels replied. "That's not how I would put it — the sex in the films is very much real just like what happened to me in [Trump's hotel] room."    Turning from porn to the paranormal, Necheles asked about Daniels's psychic endeavors.    "You claimed to be able to speak with people's dead relatives, right?" Necheles asked.    Daniels replied, "I make clear it's all entertainment."     Daniels was described as being less tense than her initial time on the stand  on Tuesday. No cameras are allowed in the courtroom.    The week started with Judge Juan Merchan threatening to jail Trump over repeated violations of the trial gag order Monday. Trump has been found in violation 10 times during the trial, racking up a combined $10,000 in fines.    When Daniels's turn came Tuesday, she described her alleged encounter in Trump's hotel suite during a celebrity golfing tournament near Lake Tahoe in 2006. She was asked multiple times to slow down when she talked and refrain from unnecessary salacious details.    Trump was known at the time as a famous businessman and host of NBC's "Apprentice" and "Celebrity Apprentice" reality television shows.    Trump is accused of falsifying business documents to cover a $130,000 hush money payment to Daniels during the 2016 election campaign to prevent her from disclosing their alleged sexual encounter.    Former Trump "fixer" Michael Cohen, who handled the transaction but has since become a vocal critic of Trump, is also expected to take the stand in the trial.   Trump denies having sex with Daniels or violating any laws.  Welcome to The Hill's Campaign Report, I'm Liz Crisp. Each week we track the key stories you need to know to stay ahead of the 2024 election and who will set the agenda in Washington.  Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here. Essential Reads  Key election stories and other recent campaign coverage: Former rivals Lee, Porter throw support behind Schiff in California Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) on Wednesday joined Rep. Katie Porter (D-Calif.) in officially endorsing Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) for the Senate seat they all three sought. Schiff will face former baseball star Steve Garvey, a Republican, in the general election, after they emerged as the top two vote-getters in the state's nonpartisan primary in March. “Californians have a clear choice this November in who they want representing …  Full Story Hillary Clinton: Supreme Court doing 'grave disservice' in not deciding Trump immunity Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton knocked the Supreme Court on Thursday for delaying its ruling on former President Trump's presidential immunity claim in his federal election interference case. "The other point I would quickly make is that the Supreme Court is doing our country a grave disservice in not deciding the case about immunity," Clinton, the 2016 Democratic nominee for president, said in an interview on MSNBC's …  Full Story Megyn Kelly says Trump VP should be 'somebody like' Haley, DeSantis Megyn Kelly said Wednesday that former President Trump should pick an "establishment" Republican like former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley or Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to be his running mate in the 2024 presidential election. In an interview on NewsNation's "Elizabeth Vargas Reports," Kelly noted that Trump is "not that popular" among a significant share of the Republican base, pointing to his recent poor showing in the Indiana …  Full Story The Countdown  Upcoming news themes and events we're watching: 67 days until the Republican National Convention  102 days until the Democratic National Convention  180 days until the 2024 general election  In Other News  Branch out with a different read from The Hill: Axelrod: Biden 'pride' may cost him election Senior Democratic strategist David Axelrod hit President Biden over his economic messaging Wednesday following a campaign event in Milwaukee, saying the president's "pride" could be his undoing in November. Biden has consistently framed struggles with the economy in the past tense, and treated the issue as already won. Most Americans disagree, with polls showing most trusting former President Trump on the economy more. Axelrod, … Full Story Trump: Biden '100% responsible' for colleges canceling graduations Former President Trump pinned the blame on President Biden for the college graduations that have been canceled amid the ongoing pro-Palestinian protests, describing the president as “too weak to demand law and order.” “Crooked Joe Biden is 100% responsible for these weak colleges, like Columbia University, cancelling the graduations for thousands of students!” Trump wrote on Truth Social just after midnight … Full Story Around the Nation  Local and state headlines regarding campaigns and elections: Democratic lawmaker credits Alabama's Republican Secretary of State for passage of election worker protection bill (AL.com)  Nevada Supreme Court weighs whether proposed voter ID ballot measure amounts to poll tax (Nevada Independent)  A Democrat won a recall election in Michigan's Republican-dominated Ottawa County. Was it a harbinger? (MLive.com)  What We're Reading  Election news we've flagged from other outlets: Top Republicans, led by Trump, refuse to commit to accept 2024 election results (Washington Post)  Trump's VP pick could put a Senate appointment in the hands of a MAGA foe (NBC News)  Nikki Haley Is Huddling With Donors and Won't Endorse Donald Trump Yet (Wall Street Journal)  Elsewhere Today  Key stories on The Hill right now: Ex-White House aide testifies at Trump hush money trial: Live updates The cross-examination of Stormy Daniels in former President Trump's hush money trial has concluded Thursday. She was followed by a book publisher custodian and a Trump Organization employee. Now the jury is hearing from Madeleine Westerhout, a former personal assistant for Trump who later served as his Oval Office director. Follow below … Read more GOP senators amused as Ted Cruz seeks to move bill: 'The foot's on the other hand' Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) has become the subject of much bemusement among his Senate GOP colleagues as he has taken a detour from his role as a conservative rabble-rouser to playing the lead on reauthorizing the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The Texas senator, long known for stirring up trouble for leadership, has suddenly gone … Read more What People Think  Opinion related to campaigns and elections submitted to The Hill: Stormy Daniels and the media keep on using each other   You're all caught up. See you next time!  Check out The Hill's Campaign page for the latest coverage. Like this newsletter? Take a moment to view our other topical products here 📩 Privacy Policy  |  Manage Subscriptions  |  Unsubscribe 1625 K Street NW, 9th Floor, Washington, DC 20006 Copyright © 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved.

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