In her first major interview since Donald Trump’s indictment, Stormy Daniels has said that while she wants the former president to be “held accountable” she doesn’t believe he should go to prison.
“I don’t think that his crimes against me are worthy of incarceration. I feel like the other things that he has done, if he is found guilty, absolutely,” Daniels, 44, said in an interview with Fox Nation’s Piers Morgan released on Thursday.
Daniels sat down with Morgan for a 1.5 hour interview, which she called her most extensive yet. She thanked people for “love and support” in a tweet, saying that the segment “laid to rest a lot of misinformation”.
When asked by Morgan how it felt to see Trump appear in court, Daniels said she was “shocked”. “I thought he was going to get away with not being accountable,” she said.
Trump, 76, also faces criminal investigations in Washington for trying to overturn his 2020 election loss and mishandling classified documents, and a separate criminal investigation in Georgia about his attempt to overturn his defeat in that state.
Trump’s historic indictment marks the first time a current or former US president has been charged with criminal activity. The front-runner in the race for the Republican nomination in 2024, Trump denies having an affair with Daniels but has acknowledged the payment.
The case is early in its proceedings – with the next hearing date not scheduled until 4 December. A trial could begin as early as January of next year, when Trump would have already started campaigning for his 2024 run for president.
Daniels said in her interview with Morgan that if she is called to testify she would “look forward to it”.
“I think having them call me in and put me on the stand legitimizes my story and who I am. And if they don’t, it almost feels like they’re hiding me,” she said.
Reuters contributed to this report.
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