This article is part of HuffPost’s biweekly politics newsletter. Click here to subscribe.
When Stormy Daniels took the witness stand Tuesday, dressed comfortably in a drapey black sweater, her hair swept back in a claw clip, she masked whatever nerves she felt with a casual, even bubbly demeanor. Her tone was light as she responded to questions from prosecuting attorney Susan Hoffinger about her alleged 2006 sexual encounter with former President Donald Trump, who sat just feet away from her in Judge Juan Merchan’s New York City courtroom.
Daniels appeared eager to prove herself a helpful witness for the prosecution. But her testimony was a minefield.
Before she even stepped into the courtroom, Trump’s attorneys implored the judge to put strict limits on what Daniels could say in front of the jury. The former president is accused of falsifying business records in order to conceal a hush money payment to Daniels in the days leading up to the 2016 presidential election, …