STORMY Daniels has broken her silence after Donald Trump’s historic guilty hush-money verdict and called for him to be locked up.
The former adult film star, 45, demanded Trump face jail time before also suggesting he should be the “volunteer punching bag at a women’s shelter”.
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The ex-US president, 77, was found guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records to cover up a payment to Daniels.
Daniels declared in her first interview since the ruling: “I think he should be sentenced to jail and some community service working for the less fortunate, or being the volunteer punching bag at a women’s shelter.”
On May 7, Daniels testified that she and Trump had a brief, sexual encounter in 2006 at a Lake Tahoe hotel room after the pair first met at a celebrity golf tournament.
The jury was told that she hit Trump’s backside with a rolled-up magazine before having unprotected sex with him.
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At the time, Trump’s wife, Melania, was pregnant with their son Barron.
A month before the 2016 presidential election, Trump instructed his then-attorney Michael Cohen, to pay Daniels $130,000 to keep quiet about the alleged affair, said prosecutors.
Trump has denied both the affair and the act of using his funds to pay off Daniels.
It’s not over for me. It’s never going to be over for me. Trump may be guilty, but I still have to live with the legacy
Stormy Daniels
During testimony presented by the state, the prosecution argued that Trump disguised the reimbursement payments he made to Cohen as legal retainers.
She revealed to The Mirror that despite Trump potentially facing time behind bars he is still “completely and utterly out of touch with reality”.
Daniels said: “You always feel like you’re the bad guy but I’m glad that the stuff came out in court that wanted to come out and prove, like I said, I’ve been telling the truth the entire time.
“It’s not over for me. It’s never going to be over for me. Trump may be guilty, but I still have to live with the legacy.”
Daniels’ husband Barrett Blade said this week his wife feels “a little vindicated” after the ruling but is still processing the news.
A sentencing date has been set for July 11, as Trump‘s attorney confirmed the Republican nominee for president will appeal the verdict.
The class E felony crime of falsifying business records is punishable by a fine, probation, or up to four years in prison per count.
On Friday, Trump pushed the limits of his gag order during a 33-minute rant at a press conference at Trump Tower in Midtown, Manhattan.
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Trump called the trial and verdict a scam and shameful.
“These are bad people. These are, in many cases, I believe, sick people,” the former commander-in-chief said.
“This is a scam. There’s a rigged trial. It shouldn’t have been in that venue. We shouldn’t have had that judge.”
Trump continued by confirming he’s still under a gag order that prohibits him from talking about witnesses and prosecutors in the case.
Is Donald Trump still under a gag order?
TRUMP became the first former President to be convicted of a crime. But now that Trump has been convicted does the gag order still apply?
Why did the judge impose a gag order on Trump?
- Judge Juan Merchan placed Trump on a gag order in March, weeks before the start of his April 15, 2024, trial.
- The order barred Trump from making public statements about witnesses involved in the case or remarks about the prosecution, court staff, or their family members.
- Merchan expanded the order to include his and District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s family after Trump repeatedly lashed out against the judge’s daughter on social media.
Did Trump violate the gag order during his trial?
- Trump was found to have violated the order nine times during his trial.
- Judge Merchan ordered Trump to pay $1,000 per violation.
- The judge also held Trump in contempt of court twice.
- Merchan warned the former president that he would consider jailing him if he continued to violate the order.
- To bypass the order, Trump quoted right-wing media outlets and legal scrollers criticizing the proceedings.
Is Trump still under a gag order now that he’s been convicted?
- Trump’s trial may have ended, but his gag order remains intact.
- Trump clarified on May 31, 2024, a day after he was convicted, that his gag order was still in place.
- “I am under a gag order from a man who can’t put two sentences together, given by a court,” Trump said at a press conference from Trump Tower in Midtown Manhattan.
- In an interview with Fox News Tonight, Jesse Waters asked Trump’s attorney, Todd Blanche, a question about prosecutor Matthew Colangelo, which he said he was not allowed to comment on.
- “Well, I’m not really allowed to comment on that because we’re still under a gag order,” Blanche responded.
- It’s unclear when Judge Merchan will lift the order.
If Trump is sentenced to jail, he will – as the first former president to be jailed – legally require Secret Service agents to be with him 24/7.
A rotating detail of armed agents would have to work around the clock to protect him – despite strict rules against firearms in prisons, officials familiar with the situation told The New York Times.
They would even have to screen Trump’s personal items and food.
The ex-president would also have to be kept separate from all other inmates for his own safety, and would likely not be permitted to keep items such as hair gel and makeup.
If sentenced to a year or less behind bars, he could be sent to Rikers Island, where his former CFO Allen Weisselberg is now serving time.
Some say Trump’s convictions will have a “boomerang effect” that will boost his popularity and make him president again.
Politics columnist Joe Concha wrote: “As it stands now, Trump leads in every major swing state in the country on average. He leads in almost every national poll.
“And an overwhelming majority of Americans don’t like political persecutions at all.”
The convictions cannot stop Trump from being president, even if he is sent to prison, a lawyer told The Sun.
What’s next for Trump?
DONALD Trump has been found guilty of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in his hush money trial.
Here is what could happen next:
The “falsifying business records” crimes he has been convicted of are the lowest level felonies in the New York state system.
Experts say it is beyond rare for a first-time offender with no criminal record to be jailed for a non-violent offence – especially at Trump’s age.
Despite now being a convicted felon, Trump can run for president.
But if he is handed a jail sentence and beats US Joe Biden in November, his sentence will have to be suspended until he leaves office.
Under New York law, Trump will not lose his right to vote – unless he is sent to prison.
Trump’s attorney said the Republican nominee for president will appeal the verdict “as soon as we can”.
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