Trump lawyers shot themselves in the foot by treating Stormy Daniels 'like trash': expert

Former President Donald Trump's defense team made a huge mistake by going after adult film star Stormy Daniels on the witness stand the way they did, former federal prosecutor Paul Butler told MSNBC's Joy Reid on Thursday evening's edition of "The ReidOut."

The fundamental problem, he said, is that aside from the basic false claims made during cross-examination, the jury saw defense counsel Susan Necheles trying to shame Daniels for her profession, and this will make them less sympathetic to Trump's cause.

"Ego-stroking Trump and, you know, attacking Stormy Daniels because Trump can't do it — that doesn't seem to me to be a defense," said Reid.

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Butler agreed. "It's a performance for the client," he said. "So it is the job of a defense attorney to attack the credibility of a witness for the prosecution. And in fact, there was baggage that Stormy Daniels has. She lost a defamation case with Trump, and she said that she would go to jail rather than pay him a dime."

The big problem for Trump, Butler continued, is "that's not what the defense focused on during their cross. They acted like she was a fallen woman, like this was a trial in Mississippi in the 1950s."

"Right," agreed Reid.

"There was this class component," said Butler. "They treated her like they thought she was trash. In stark contrast to Hope Hicks last week, this former Vanity Fair model who they didn't treat in the same way. They actually treated her with kid gloves. And so I don't think this is very effective for the jury. I don't think classism and sexism work on a Manhattan jury in 2024."

Watch the video below or at the link.

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