'Meltdown': CNN expert highlights biggest risk Stormy Daniels poses to Trump
Former President Donald Trump's hush money trial saw one of its most explosive days yet when adult film star Stormy Daniels took the stand.
Daniels, whose silence prosecutors say Trump bought with a $130,000 hush money payment concealed in falsified business records, grew heated under questioning and the former president demanded a mistrial over her personal comments about him.
Ultimately, Daniels, who will be delivering more testimony later this week, poses a huge threat to Trump, said CNN analyst Paula Reid — a threat made explicit when Trump posted an angry rant about the upcoming witness on Truth Social, then promptly deleted it.
Anchor Jake Tapper read the post as follows:
"I have just recently been told who the witness is today. This is unprecedented, no time for lawyers to prepare. No Judge has ever run a trial in such a biased and partisan way. He is CROOKED & HIGHLY CONFLICTED, even taking away my First Amendment Rights. Now he’s threatening me with JAIL, & THEY HAVE NO CASE - This according to virtually all Legal Scholars & Experts! Why isn’t the Fake News Media reporting his Conflict?'"
Tapper then responded with a quick fact check, a comment and a question for Reid.
"I mean, we have reported many times on the fact that his daughter works in a Democratic firm," Tapper said. "But Mr. Trump deleted that post minutes later, even though the reference to the witness was vague and not specifically critical. But do you think he might have deleted it because of the gag order?"
"Yeah, absolutely," said Reid.
"I mean, even a vague witness reference could potentially jeopardize his defense lawyers from getting the names of witnesses, and also potentially land him in jail because the judge was clear that ... that possibility was on the table."
Reid then explained what she feels is the biggest threat that Daniels poses to the former president.
"The greatest legal risks that Stormy Daniels poses to Trump today and over the next few days as she testifies is just making him melt down and violate this gag order," Reid said. "The fact that he hasn't lost it in front of the press pool, that is notable. He has been better about following the gag order, even before he was fined this $9,000. Conservative activists have said this — he shouldn't do this, and that was really what prompted him to stop. He did not violate it today. I think even people close to him are telling me they're a little bit surprised."
All that said, Reid added, "There's still time. She'll be back on the stand Thursday. This is a big task because clearly her appearance is getting under his skin, but she is one of the people protected by the gag order."
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