Joyce Vance: “The jury doesn’t have to believe Stormy Daniels to convict Donald Trump. Even if her story was just that—a made up story, as the defense claims—the crime happened when Trump paid her off and concealed the payments with false business records. But Daniels came off as believable. At one point, under pressure from Necheles to concede she’d never had sex with Trump, Daniels fired back that if she was going to tell a story that wasn’t true, she ‘would’ve written it to be a lot better.’”
“Trump’s lawyers staked their case on Stormy Daniels’ story being a lie. They promised the jury in their opening statement that none of it was true. But they didn’t deliver. Stormy Daniels did. That means the defense’s credibility with the jury is low as they head into the critical stage of the trial where the government must prove that Trump knew about the whole deal. Because with the motive for the crime established, it’s about time for the People to call Michael Cohen to the witness stand.”
