OPINION:
Stormy Daniels offered up steamy, raunchy, overly detailed and salacious testimony during the New York trial of Donald Trump, and while it did little to dent the fact the former president simply paid legal fees — and according to law, that’s not the same as hush money — fact is, the ex-porn star provided a valuable service to Democrats: She turned attention from Joe Biden’s many, many failures.
The borders are wide open; inflation is killing the middle class; America’s lost face on the international stage and China’s coming on strong — so cue the porn star. Cue the porn star to tell how Trump allegedly wore Hugh Hefner-like pajamas allegedly during his alleged encounter with Daniels. Allegedly. Then after cueing the porn star, cue the sad-faced judge.
“I do think some things were better unsaid,” Judge Juan Merchan said, after Daniel’s tawdry testimony.
Yet Merchan allowed the testimony to go forth.
And then after allowing the testimony to go forth — over objection after objection from Trump’s defense attorneys — Merchan then had the gall to tell the media, post-Daniels, that he thought the defense attorneys would object more. Hmm. That — even as the defense attorneys say they tried to scuttle much of what they knew Daniels was to say on the stand, in the lead-up to her testimony, but that the judge himself refused their requests.
From The Hill: “Before the trial, Trump’s lawyers unsuccessfully attempted to prevent the jury from ever hearing from Daniels, and the defense Tuesday morning urged the judge to keep out many of the salacious specifics. Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger agreed they would omit some details — like descriptions of genitalia — but insisted it was necessary for Daniels to walk through the alleged sexual encounter as the jury assesses whether she is credible.”
For Merchan to then feign regret at allowing such testimony from Daniels about spankings and missionary positions and other details — all alleged, mind you; Trump claims he never even had sex with Daniels, never mind paid her off for the sex she alleges occurred — but for Merchan to not only allow this testimony, but then feign regret after he allowed it is a total tell of the politics that are driving this sham trial.
“Please just keep the answers short,” Merchan said, several hours into the testimony from Daniels, after the steamy statements had already been made — after the tawdry headlines had already been sent around the socials — after the damage had already been done.
“Just listen to the question and answer the question,” Merchan told Daniels.
If Biden weren’t performing so poorly as president, this case never would have been brought to the courtroom.
The sole reason Daniels had her day in court was so she could talk about her alleged dalliance with Trump in as steamy, raunchy, ridiculously detailed manner as possible to put headlines out there, all alleged, all denied by the defendant, that Democrats could cite over and over and over again as reason to vote for Biden — as cause to put the ex-president in jail — as justification to show that Trump is utterly unfit for the somber role of commander-in-chief.
It’s deep-state politicking of the ugliest order.
It’s a “wag the dog” tactic — a la the 1990s film about Hollywood’s ability to fabricate false narratives to distract from deeper issues.
Stormy admits she hates Trump. The payment she said she received came from attorney Michael Cohen, as a listed “legal” expense. Trump denies having sex with her; Trump denies paying her to keep quiet.
It’s up to the prosecution to prove their case. And no matter how many porn stars they get to talk up salacious details in a public courtroom, it won’t change the fact that Biden is bad for the economy, bad for the border, bad for America. The American people know this. Trump, even from court after court after court appearance, is still beating Biden in the polls.
• Cheryl Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com or on Twitter, @ckchumley. Listen to her podcast “Bold and Blunt” by clicking HERE. And never miss her column; subscribe to her newsletter and podcast by clicking HERE. Her latest book, “Lockdown: The Socialist Plan To Take Away Your Freedom,” is available by clicking HERE or clicking HERE or CLICKING HERE.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.