Donald Trump’s attorneys attempted to undermine the credibility of Keith Davidson, a key witness in the hush money deal with Stormy Daniels, by highlighting his history of extracting money from celebrities without crossing the line into extortion. Davidson, who has worked with celebrities such as Hulk Hogan, Lindsay Lohan, Charlie Sheen, and Tila Tequila, was evasive in response to questions about his prior dealings with celebrities, with proceedings becoming heated at times. The attorneys also used recordings of Davidson’s conversations with Michael Cohen as evidence against him, including discussions about the leverage of the Daniels story.
During a hearing before Davidson’s testimony, prosecutors raised additional statements made by Trump that they believe violated the judge’s gag order, resulting in further fines for the former president. Following Davidson’s testimony, prosecutors brought in a digital evidence expert to enter evidence into records, continuing to build their case against Trump in the hush money trial. Despite the distractions, the trial moved forward as planned.
Trump’s attorney focused on Davidson’s past celebrity dealings, suggesting a pattern of seeking hefty payments to keep damaging information out of the media. Bove questioned whether Davidson had engaged in extortion with the Trump deals, prompting an evasive response from the witness. The attorney brought up Davidson’s involvement in a deal to sell Hulk Hogan a sex tape, implying a monetary demand was made to Hogan in an attempt to secure the tape.
Throughout the proceedings, Davidson was evasive in response to Bove’s questions, raising concerns about his credibility as a witness. When prosecutors questioned Davidson, he also displayed evasiveness, particularly in discussions about Stormy Daniels’ denials of a romantic relationship with Trump and the nature of the hush money payment she received. Davidson argued technicalities in his responses, claiming that the payment was a settlement payment for considerations, not hush money, and questioning the definition of a “relationship.”
Despite the distractions caused by the testimony of Keith Davidson and the legal maneuvering by both sides, the hush money trial against Trump continued to progress. Davidson’s past celebrity dealings and his evasiveness in response to questioning raised doubts about his credibility as a witness. The prosecution’s efforts to enter digital evidence and address Trump’s violations of the gag order further advanced their case. The trial remained focused on the alleged hush money deals involving Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal before the 2016 election, with both sides presenting their arguments and evidence to the court.
