{"id":2241574,"date":"2024-05-10T07:26:02","date_gmt":"2024-05-10T11:26:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/republicans-skeptical-stormy-daniels-testimony-will-matter-in-2024-race\/"},"modified":"2024-05-10T07:27:52","modified_gmt":"2024-05-10T11:27:52","slug":"republicans-skeptical-stormy-daniels-testimony-will-matter-in-2024-race","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/republicans-skeptical-stormy-daniels-testimony-will-matter-in-2024-race\/","title":{"rendered":"Republicans doubt the significance of Stormy Daniels&#8217; testimony in the 2024 race"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Frepublicans-skeptical-stormy-daniels-testimony-will-matter-in-2024-race%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2241574&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Stormy Daniels&#8217; \u200dtestimony \u2064in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-big-problem-with-the-stormy-daniels-hush-money-case-against-trump\/\" title=\"The Big Problem With The Stormy Daniels Hush Money Case Against Trump\">hush money case<\/a> against Ex-President Trump marked\u200c a\u2063 significant moment in U.S. \u2063politics. Despite\u2062 the trial&#8217;s spectacle, Republicans seem unmoved by Daniels&#8217; revelations. Legal experts ponder why Trump&#8217;s defense didn&#8217;t contest Daniels&#8217; testimony aggressively. \u200bThe impact of the testimony extends beyond the\u2063 courtroom, creating ripples in both the political and public spheres. Voter polls suggest interest in the New York case persists.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Porn star <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/stormy-daniels\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Stormy Daniels<\/a> testifying this week in the hush money case against former President <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\">Donald Trump<\/a> marked an extraordinary moment in U.S. politics and presidential <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/2024-election\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>elections<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Never before has a former president faced a criminal trial after leaving office, and now, thanks to Daniels, real name Stephanie Clifford, never before has the public had to grapple with a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/someone-should-remind-ex-porn-star-mia-khalifa-that-porn-same-sex-relationships-and-alcohol-are-banned-in-gaza\/\" title=\"Someone Should Remind \u2018Ex-Porn Star\u2019 Mia Khalifa That Porn, Same-Sex Relationships And Alcohol Are Banned In Gaza\">porn star\u2019<\/a>s graphic descriptions of a sexual affair with a former president.<\/p>\n<p>Yet despite the spectacle of the trial, Republicans don\u2019t appear to be swayed by what Daniels had to say.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/election-2024\/?utm_source=homepage&#038;utm_medium=banner&#038;utm_campaign=iowa_caucus&#038;utm_id=election2024\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ELECTION 2024: FOLLOW LATEST COVERAGE<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Republicans still contend the trial over whether Trump signed off on a $130,<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/exclusive-isis-bride-claims-media-covered-up-affair-with-rep-van-taylor\/\" title=\"Exclusive: \u2018ISIS Bride\u2019 Claims Media Covered Up Affair With Rep Van Taylor\">000 hush money payment<\/a> by former lawyer <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/michael-cohen\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Michael Cohen<\/a> is a \u201csham.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t know what her testimony is,\u201d Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/exclusive-nikki-haley-to-endorse-marco-rubios-reelection-campaign\/\" title=\"EXCLUSIVE: Nikki Haley To Endorse Marco Rubio\u2019s Reelection Campaign\">potential vice presidential candidate<\/a> for Trump, told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>. \u201cI think people for the most part, even many Democrats I talked to, will tell you that this trial in New York is a sham. It\u2019s an embarrassment.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), a top Trump surrogate, gave a succinct response when asked if Daniels\u2019s testimony would hurt Trump\u2019s reelection bid: \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>House Republicans were no more impressed than their Senate counterparts and downplayed what impact the trial would have. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf you look at the key players in that, they\u2019re all Democrat operatives or donors to the Democrat party,\u201d Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC), another key Trump acolyte, said. \u201cSo it\u2019s clearly rigged.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mace was likely referencing Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, a Democrat, who is trying the case against Trump as well as Judge Juan Merchan\u2019s daughter, Loren, who has worked at a firm that has worked with Democratic candidates.<\/p>\n<figure><figcaption>Stormy Daniels testifies in Manhattan criminal court, Tuesday, May 7, 2024, in New York, about the encounter in former President Donald Trump\u2019s hotel penthouse, showing how she found Trump in his bedroom lying on his bed. (Elizabeth Williams via AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>In April, Merchan expanded a gag order against Trump after he disparaged Loren Merchan on social media. He fined Trump $9,000 for nine separate violations of the gag order last week and then <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/2992287\/judge-finds-trump-contempt-gag-order-threatens-incarceration\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>fined him $1,000<\/a> this week after he violated the order again.<\/p>\n<p>During her testimony this week, Daniels described to the 12-member jury in New York that Trump went without a condom when the pair allegedly had sex and that Daniels kept her bra done during the deed. <\/p>\n<p>Trump continues to deny any involvement with Daniels and was seen by reporters on Tuesday muttering \u201cbulls***\u201d to Daniels\u2019s claims.<\/p>\n<p>Trump\u2019s attorney Todd Blanche claimed that Daniels\u2019s testimony should lead to a mistrial, however, his request was denied. \u201cThis is the kind of testimony that makes it impossible to come back from,\u201d Blanche said on Tuesday.<\/p>\n<p>Legal experts wondered why Trump\u2019s defense didn\u2019t intervene more against Daniels\u2019s testimony. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy response to that is why didn\u2019t you object?\u201d Neama Rahmani, a former federal prosecutor, said\u00a0in an interview with the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>. \u201cIf you have a problem, you gotta object. You can\u2019t, like, let it all come out.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think that Trump\u2019s lawyers are going to have to come out much more aggressive than they have now,\u201d John Yoo, a former Justice Department attorney, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/video\/6352489506112\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>told Fox News<\/a>. \u201cSo far, the cross-examination hasn\u2019t raised doubts about the facts of Daniels\u2019s encounter with President Trump again.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Yoo claimed the testimony would likely reverberate beyond the courtroom.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe has accused the former president of the United States of raping her, and she said it under oath,\u201d Yoo continued. \u201cI think if you\u2019ve got two days where this is going to be out there, it\u2019s not just having an effect in the court and before the jury, it\u2019s going to have an effect in the political world and the public world.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>While Daniels didn\u2019t explicitly use the word rape <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/trump-trial-updates-day-13\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"in her testimony\">in her testimony<\/a>, she did say the encounter left her \u201cshaking,\u201d and while she did not feel physically or verbally threatened, she did note a perceived power imbalance and that Trump had a bodyguard outside of the hotel room where the encounter took place. <\/p>\n<p>Rahmani compared the details from Daniels\u2019s testimony to disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThese really kind of sorted details came out. There\u2019s this threat that a guy in the parking lot. There\u2019s Trump kind of Harvey Weinstein style, big guy in the hotel room like she felt afraid,\u201d he said. \u201cAt least politically, it seems like not good for the former president at all.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL), another rumored Trump running mate contender, disagreed with the legal experts, telling the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> the testimony from Daniels would not harm Trump\u2019s campaign.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEverybody knows that this whole thing is a joke. It\u2019s a travesty,\u201d Donalds said. \u201cPeople are going to move on and look at what\u2019s happening in their lives.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Polling, however, indicates that voters care about the New York case. A<em> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/us\/trump-hush-money-charges-seen-serious-by-most-voters-reutersipsos-finds-2024-04-10\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Reuters<\/a><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/us\/trump-hush-money-charges-seen-serious-by-most-voters-reutersipsos-finds-2024-04-10\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>-Ipsos poll <\/a>last month showed 64% of registered voters described the charges as \u201csomewhat serious.\u201d The poll also found that nearly four in 10 Republicans considered the charges to be serious, as did two-thirds of independents.<\/p>\n<p>Blanche again requested a mistrial for a second time on Thursday claiming the second testimony from Daniels on Thursday was prejudicial. Juan Merchan <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/2998638\/judge-denies-trumps-mistrial-motion\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"denied the motion. \">denied the motion.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Juan Merchan also denied a request from Blanche to amend the gag order so Trump could respond to Daniels.<\/p>\n<p>Other Republicans such as outgoing Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) refused to weigh in on Daniels\u2019s relationship with Trump.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m not going to be commenting on the presidential election,\u201d McConnell said during a GOP leadership press conference on Wednesday. \u201cI\u2019m going to concentrate on trying to turn this job over to the next <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/donald-trump-ends-negotiations-with-nancy-pelosi-on-coronavirus-relief\/\" title=\"Donald Trump Ends Negotiations with Nancy Pelosi on Coronavirus Relief\">majority leader<\/a> of the Senate.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>President Joe Biden\u2019s campaign has opted not to directly comment on the minute details of Trump\u2019s hush money trial case and instead contrast Biden\u2019s campaign events as Trump is stuck in court.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In a similar fashion, Democrats tend to want to move on from the case when questioned by reporters. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am fundamentally uninterested in the reason why Donald Trump paid Stormy Daniels,\u201d Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) said. \u201cI would rather that this country\u2019s conversation be consumed by something other than what was going on inside Donald Trump\u2019s head when he wrote a big check to Stormy Daniels.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em>Kaelan Deese contributed to this story. <\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Stormy Daniels, also known as Stephanie Clifford, testifying this week in the hush money case against ex-President Donald Trump, created a historic moment in U.S. politics. It&#8217;s unprecedented for a former president to undergo a criminal trial post-office. Daniels&#8217; testimony has shed new light on presidential accountability, sparking public interest and discussions<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2658,"featured_media":2241575,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/wex-s3.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/MixCollage-09-May-2024-08-54-PM-6402-1024x591.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2241574","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/wex-s3.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/MixCollage-09-May-2024-08-54-PM-6402-1024x591.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2241574","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2658"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2241574"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2241574\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2241575"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2241574"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2241574"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2241574"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}