Stormy Daniels Calls Trump’s Indictment ‘Shocking’ In New Interview—But Doesn’t Think He Deserves Prison Time

Topline

In her first televised interview since former President Donald Trump’s historic indictment Tuesday, Stormy Daniels—the adult film star at the center of the charges—told Piers Morgan she never thought a criminal prosecution of Trump would come, and said he “should be held accountable,” but she doesn’t believe the charges against Trump will warrant jail time.

Stormy Daniels (Stephanie Clifford) said she felt shocked former President Donald Trump was indicted … [+] over alleged hush money payments ahead of the 2016 election.

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Key Facts

In an interview released Thursday on Piers Morgan Uncensored, Daniels described her emotions when watching the coverage of Trump’s criminal charges—which accused him of falsifying business records for payments meant to cover up an alleged affair with Daniels—as “shocking” and “sad” (Trump pleaded not guilty to the charges and has denied allegations against him).

Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, told Morgan she never thought the indictment would come, saying Trump seemed to be “dethroned” and “no longer untouchable.”

Daniels said she would gladly testify if and when the case goes to trial, adding that taking the stand “legitimizes my story and who I am.”

“It doesn’t matter if you are the president, you should be held accountable for your actions,” Daniels said.

Contra

When asked if she believes Trump should face jail time if he’s found guilty, Daniels responded: “I do not think his crimes against me are worthy of incarceration,” but that other “things he has done” could warrant a conviction if he’s found guilty. Trump is also facing federal investigations into his handling of White House documents and his role in the January 6 Capitol riots, and Daniels had previously said she was disappointed the first indictment of Trump didn’t stem from one of those probes.

Crucial Quote

“I was not the fire, I was the spark that lit the fuse that blew up the keg,” Daniels told Morgan in the interview.

Key Background

Daniels has been a frequent Trump foe since 2018, when the Wall Street Journal revealed Trump’s team paid her $130,000 to stay quiet about an alleged affair. New York state prosecutors have spent years investigating the former president, and on Tuesday, Trump pleaded not guilty in a Manhattan courthouse to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, a case stemming from the hush money payments to Daniels and two other people who claimed to have information about alleged extramarital affairs (Trump has denied the affairs). Prosecutors claim Trump, a 2024 presidential candidate, engaged in “catch and kill” schemes around the 2016 election to hide three alleged affairs, and falsified business records “to conceal criminal activity.” Court documents allege that former Trump attorney Michael Cohen made a $130,000 payment to Daniels just weeks before the 2016 election, and Trump reimbursed Cohen the following year with payments falsely labeled as legal fees. Ahead of his historic arraignment on Tuesday, Trump refused to answer reporters’ questions, but referred to the hearing on Truth Social as “SURREAL” and accused Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg of leading a “witch hunt.”

Surprising Fact

Daniels’ husband, Barrett Blade, said Daniels faced death threats ahead of Trump’s arraignment, telling Vogue in an interview published earlier this week: “Stormy’s tough,” but the threats “get to her, of course.”