Trump trial: Stormy Daniels tells (almost) all about alleged encounter with Trump

Defense attorney Susan Necheles played up the animosity Stormy Daniels has for Donald Trump after a California court dismissed a lawsuit she filed against him and awarded Trump legal fees totaling more than a half million dollars.

"You're choosing not to pay President Trump one penny," Necheles said. "You've chosen to disobey a court order."

She read a Tweet from Daniels saying she would go to jail before paying Trump the money a court determined she owed.

Necheles' voice, during questioning, is almost rising to shout, jolting the courtroom.

Judge Merchan reminded Necheles to allow Daniels to answer the question before rushing on to the next one.

Defense attorney Susan Necheles began her cross-examination of Stormy Daniels by suggesting that Daniels' testimony was rehearsed.

"The prosecution subjected you to several grueling prep sessions, which included brutal mock cross examinations?" Necheles asked.

"My testimony was not rehearsed," Daniels responded.

"The memories were hard to bring up -- they were painful," Daniels added.

"Am I correct that you hate President Trump?" Necheles asked.

"Yes," Daniels responded.

"And you want him to go to jail?" Necheles asked.

"I want him to be held responsible," Daniels said.

Stormy Daniels testified that she sold the license rights of her story to Peacock -- which released a documentary about her earlier this year -- for $125,000.

Of that amount, Daniels said she has has received $100,000 so far.

Asked why she felt the need to make the documentary, Daniels responded, "To get the truth out -- the same as the book."

Hoffinger then asked Daniels to read aloud one of Trump's social media posts about her.

"I did NOTHING wrong in the 'Horseface' case," Daniels read, slightly raising her voice. "Never had an affair with her, just another false acquisition [sic] by a Sleazebag."

Daniels testified that Trump has repeatedly called her "horseface."

In the jury box, many of the jurors have been taking notes as Daniels testifies, with others looking back-and-forth between Hoffinger and Daniels as though they're watching a tennis match.

Trump, meanwhile, is slouched back in his seat, looking down or straight ahead -- still seeming to avoid looking toward the witness.

After the last round of questions, Hoffinger concluded her direct examination.

Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger asked Stormy Daniels about her 2018 lawsuit against Donald Trump for defamation.

Trump had called Daniels' allegations of being threatened in Las Vegas a "con job." A court later dismissed the case and ordered Daniels to pay Trump's legal fees.

According to Daniels, her attorney at the time, Michael Avenatti, filed the lawsuit against her will.

"Did you want him to do that?" Hoffinger asked.

"No," Daniels said. "It just seemed really risky and it didn't seem like something that could be won. It seemed like a bad choice. Not worth it, I guess."

Daniels later fired Avenatti, who was disbarred and imprisoned for stealing from clients.

Daniels testified that she still owes Trump for the legal fees in the case.

"Because I don't have the means to pay that kind of funds and because I didn't think it was fair," Daniels said about why she hasn't paid.

She testified that the outcome of this criminal case will have no outcome on her outstanding fees -- possibly getting ahead of a potential line of cross-examination.