Judge Juan Merchan admits Stormy Daniels is a 'difficult to control' witness as he denies Trump's mistrial bid

Donald Trump's attorney made a plea for mistrial as Stormy Daniels gave a graphic account of her alleged sexual encounter with the ex-POTUS
Judge Juan Merchan presides over Donald Trump's hush money trial involving Stormy Daniels (Getty Images, Juan Merchan/LinkedIn)
Judge Juan Merchan presides over Donald Trump's hush money trial involving Stormy Daniels (Getty Images, Juan Merchan/LinkedIn)

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan denied Donald Trump’s bid for a mistrial on Tuesday, May 7, despite acknowledging Stormy Daniels’ challenging demeanor as a witness.

The star witness’ testimony regarding an alleged affair with Trump in 2006 was deemed "difficult" for prosecutors to manage, a sentiment echoed by Judge Merchan himself.

Stormy Daniels rocks the Manhattan courtroom with a graphic testimony

Trump’s defense attorney, Todd Blanche, made a plea for a mistrial during a break in hush money trial proceedings, arguing that Daniels’ testimony was unduly prejudicial to his client.

While Merchan rejected this motion, he conceded that certain aspects of her testimony could have been omitted, saying, "I believe that the witness was very difficult to control."

Throughout Daniels' testimony, the 77-year-old MAGA strongman remained engaged, jotting notes on a legal pad and exchanging words with his defense team.

Blanche contended that Daniels’ assertion of an "imbalance of power" between herself and Trump could unfairly sway the jury, although it was unrelated to the charges the ex-POTUS faces regarding falsifying business records.

In an effort to maintain focus, prosecutors conferred with Daniels outside the courtroom as she resumed her testimony later in the day.

Daniels recounted her initial encounter with Trump at a celebrity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, in July 2006. She described their meeting as brief, recalling Trump’s age being comparable to her father’s.



 

The jury, visibly attentive, was presented with a photograph of Daniels and Trump together during the tournament. She went on to narrate subsequent encounters, including Trump’s invitation to dinner and discussions ranging from her career to sexually transmitted diseases.

Amid objections from Trump’s legal team, Daniels described her interactions with the former president in detail. She recounted moments of humor and discomfort, including Trump’s alleged proposition for her to appear on his TV show, 'The Apprentice', and their brief sexual encounter.

She further described their intimate encounter in his opulent hotel suite, claiming they had sex in the "missionary position." Notably, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee at the time allegedly did not wear a condom.

Despite objections and warnings from the judge about "unnecessary" detail, Daniels persisted in her testimony, elaborating on her encounters with Trump, including subsequent communications via the ex-POTUS' bodyguard, as per the New York Post.

Cross-examination of Daniels is scheduled to continue on Thursday morning.

Pictured (L-R): Stormy Daniels, Donald Trump (Getty Images)
Stormy Daniels didn't shy away from sharing details about her alleged affair with Donald Trump during her hush money testimony (Getty Images)

Internet reacts to Judge Juan Merchan denying Donald Trump's mistrial bid

One expressed, "This judge is possibly the most corrupt piece of work sitting on the bench in America. There are probably others, they just haven't become high profile yet. But this guy, he has his own cheering section in hell," and another echoed, "This judge needs to go."

"He's a paid democratic puppet," claimed a person, as someone else fumed, "Difficult to Control? The prosecutors and the political hack in the black dress wanted exactly that 'testimony.'"



 



 



 



 

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.  

GET BREAKING U.S. NEWS & POLITICAL UPDATES
STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX.

MORE STORIES

After the WHCD shooting, President Donald Trump confirmed an officer was injured and stressed unity across political divisions
19 minutes ago
The gunman avoided security monitoring by handling the weapon inside the room before suddenly moving toward the main event
1 hour ago
The Secret Service said a person was taken into custody after 'a shooting incident'
3 hours ago
Donald Trump responded to a New York Times report saying that a no-bid contract for Clark Construction was expanded, raising Lafayette Park costs
8 hours ago
Trump argued that the cost of the Federal Reserve project appeared excessive and called for further scrutiny of how the costs were calculated
8 hours ago
'That whole deal is not complicated: Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon', President Donald Trump said
9 hours ago
Democrats raised concerns over voting access, citing policies they said could affect turnout and signaling potential legal and political responses
10 hours ago
Graham says US control of Hormuz must be the top priority, even if force is needed
11 hours ago
Marjorie Taylor Greene broke with the president, accusing him of sidelining independent female voices as internal divisions threatened his 2026 agenda
11 hours ago
Despite clearing the House, the bill faces hurdles as Republicans lack enough support to overcome the filibuster
11 hours ago