Stormy Daniels on Trump's Indictment: Seeking Vindication, but at What Cost?

In her first interview since the news of Donald Trump's criminal indictment, Stormy Daniels spoke with TalkTV's Piers Morgan for a wide-ranging, 90-minute interview. The former adult film actress, whose legal name is Stephanie Clifford, touched on everything from her strained relationship with her parents to her reaction to the week's news.

The Manhattan district attorney's office charged Trump with 34 counts of falsifying business records, accusing him of hiding reimbursements for hush money payments as part of a "catch and kill" scheme to suppress affair allegations. Daniels, who is behind one set of those allegations, said she was thrilled to see the case taking steps forward but admits that the feeling of vindication may never come.

Seeing Trump convicted would "definitely be a giant step closer in that direction but I don't think it'll ever be 100%" because so many people are "unwilling to admit that they were wrong or that he lies," she said. Daniels said she's not sure if that would change should Trump receive jail time.

"I don't think that his crimes against me are worthy of incarceration," Daniels said, but later added: "The other things that he has done — if he is found guilty, then absolutely."

Trump is facing separate criminal investigations for allegedly pressuring Georgia to overturn the 2020 election results, interfering with the transfer of power and mishandling classified documents.

Daniels said she was prepared to testify in the Manhattan grand jury probe but was never asked. She said she'd welcome the prospect of testifying if the case goes to trial, which is likely, but not until late winter or spring 2024.

"It's daunting, but I look forward to it," she said. "I have nothing to hide. I'm the only one that has been telling the truth. You can't shame me anymore."

Daniels was thrust into the political spotlight after The Wall Street Journal broke the story of the hush money payments in 2018. Trump has consistently denied Daniels' claims they had sex in a Texas hotel in 2006. But he later admitted he reimbursed Cohen for $130,000 in hush money payments.

Subscribe for more content like this.

The Manhattan DA's case rests on the way the Trump organization recorded those payments. Still, Daniels says, the news of Trump's arraignment has only ramped up the frequency and tone of the hate messages she personally receives.

"They really feel like it's my fault — That, you know, I've made America the laughingstock or I'm the fall of democracy. I wish I had that much power," she said, confirming later in the interview that she was still a registered Republican.

Trump and his allies have dismissed the charges as an act of political persecution, saying the DA's office had weaponized its power to weaken the GOP's chances of reclaiming the presidency.