Trump trial: Judge rebukes Michael Cohen ahead of expected testimony Monday

Defense attorney Susan Necheles turned the topic of her cross-examination to Stormy Daniels' recent social media posts related to the trial.

Jurors saw a March 2024 post on X where Daniels said she was the "best person to flush the orange turd down."

Pressed by Necheles, Daniels initially refused to confirm if she was referring to Donald Trump in that post.

The questioning turned combative and Daniels appeared to get defensive.

"If they want to make fun of me, I can make fun of them," Daniels said.

Daniels later relented, telling Necheles that she referenced Trump in the tweet.

"I absolutely meant Donald Trump," Daniels admitted.

Prosecutors sought to paint Stormy Daniels as someone who profited off the publicity she generated from her alleged sexual encounter with Donald Trump -- pressing her on a CNN interview, a book deal, a strip tour using a pun on Trump's infamous political slogan, a reality TV show.

Defense attorney Susan Necheles said the encounter “generated a ton of publicity” for Daniels.

“Lots of bad publicity,” Daniels retorted.

“The centerpiece of your book is your story about supposedly having sex with President Trump?” Necheles asked.

“No,” she said, before acknowledging, “Sadly, I thought it was what people would turn to first.”

Defense attorney Susan Necheles asked Daniels about a tour of clubs she did in 2018, which one club dubbed the "Make America Horny Again" tour.

"I did not name that tour and I fought it tooth and nail," Daniels said. "I never used that headline -- I hated it."

Daniels pushed back against Necheles suggesting that she marketed the tour by stoking animosity towards Trump. In her book, she noted how the crowds at the tour included supportive fans who opposed Trump's presidency.

"The climate in the clubs absolutely changed, but I was not selling myself to a particular demographic," Daniels said. "I just did the same job I always did."

In the courtroom, attorneys displayed an advertisement for the tour. Trump had been sitting back in his chair before the advertisement was displayed, eyes seemingly closed, but he leaned forward and stared into the monitor when it was displayed.

Defense attorney Susan Necheles tried to distance Donald Trump from efforts to hide the Stormy Daniels story from voters by highlighting the efforts to keep it hidden in 2018.

"And he wanted you to deny it, correct?" Necheles asked about Trump in 2018.

"Yes," Daniels said.

"And he wasn't running for election in 2018?" Necheles asked.

"No," Daniels said.

"He was concerned about his family, correct?" Necheles asked.

"I was never mentioned anything about his family," Daniels responded.

"But there was nothing about his election going on then?" Necheles asked.

"No," Daniels said.

"And you understand President Trump has a brand?" Necheles followed up.

"Yes," Daniels responded.