HI, I'M DIANE MACEDO TODAY ON ABC NEWS LIVE. FIRST IT IS A DRAMATIC DAY IN FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP'S CRIMINAL MONEY CASE AS STORMY DANIELS IS ON THE STAND TESTIFYING AS A KEY WITNESS, DANIELS HAS BEEN DETAILING HER FIRST MEETING WITH FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP. THE ENCOUNTER, SHE SAYS, HAD, INCLUDING REVEALING TESTIMONY ABOUT THE DAYS AND YEARS AFTER THAT ALLEGED SEXUAL ENCOUNTER. AS WELL. PROSECUTORS ARGUED TRUMP ORCHESTRATED A $130,000 PAYMENT TO THE ADULT FILM. ACTRESS AHEAD OF THE 2016 ELECTION. IN EXCHANGE FOR HER SILENCE ABOUT THAT AFFAIR AND THEN FALSIFIED DOCUMENTS TO COVER UP THOSE PAYMENTS. FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP DENIES THE AFFAIR AND THE CHARGES. I WANT TO BRING IN ABC NEWS SENIOR INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT AARON KATERSKY OUTSIDE THAT COURTHOUSE ALONG WITH ABC NEWS EXECUTIVE EDITORIAL PRODUCER JOHN SANTUCCI, SENIOR COUNSEL AT CLOSING O'CONNOR LAW FIRM JERRY GOLDFEDER. ERIN, THE LATEST FROM COURT AND WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF STORMY DANIELS TESTIMONY SO FAR, IT HAS CAPTURED THE ATTENTION OF EVERYONE IN THAT COURTROOM, EVEN IF DONALD TRUMP HIMSELF AND HIS SON, ERIC, IS SITTING IN THE GALLERY BEHIND HIM, ARE DOING THEIR BEST TO LOOK DISINTEREST DID AND LOOK AWAY FROM STORMY DANIELS, THE JURY IS CERTAINLY BY HER DESCRIPTION OF WHAT SHE SAYS WAS A ENCOUNTER BETWEEN HER AND DONALD TRUMP BACK IN 2006 IN A LARGE HOTEL SUITE, HARRAH'S IN LAKE TAHOE, CALIFORNIA. STORMY SAID THAT SHE HAD BEEN THERE AS PART OF AN ADULT FILM PRODUCTION COMPANY SPONSORING A HOLE AT A GOLF TOURNAMENT. AND SHE DESCRIBED IN IN VIVID DETAIL ALMOST TOO MUCH DETAIL. THE JUDGE AT TIMES WHO ASKED PROSECUTORS TO MOVE IT ALONG, HOW SHE WAS IN THE SUITE, SHE REMEMBERED BEING IN THE BATHROOM AND SEEING A LEATHER TOILETRY CASE. SHE REMEMBERED OLD SPICE AND PERT PLUS. AND THEN WHEN SHE WALKED OUT OF THE BATHROOM, SHE SAID REMEMBERED SEEING DONALD TRUMP THERE ON THE BED, THREATENED PROSECUTOR SUSAN HOPFINGER ASKED HER. SHE SAID, WELL, THERE WAS A POWER IMBALANCE AND HE WAS SORT OF BLOCKING THE WAY. BUT SHE SAID SHE DIDN'T FEEL THREATENED. EVENTUALLY, THE TWO HAD, SHE SAID. BUT AS SHE BEGAN TO DESCRIBE THAT ENCOUNTER, THE ENCOUNTER, THAT'S WHEN THE DEFENSE OBJECTED AND THE JUDGE SUSTAINED THE OBJECTION. >> JURY. STORMY DANIELS HAS GONE INTO A LOT OF DETAIL HERE, AS AARON EXPLAINED, NOT ONLY ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED THAT DAY ON THE GOLF COURSE THAT NIGHT AT THE HOTEL ROOM AND ALSO WHAT HAPPENED THEREAFTER. HOW IS THE DEFENSE TO CROSS-EXAMINE HER ON THIS AND TRY TO CHALLENGE HER? >> WELL, THEY'RE GOING TO TRY TO MAKE HER INTO A LIAR, BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY'RE GOING TO SUCCEED. THE LEVEL OF DETAIL IS IT'S AN EXQUISITE DETAIL. AND IT SOUNDS VERY. I'M NOT IN THE COURTROOM, BUT FROM ALL THE REPORTS, IT SEEMS AS IF SHE DESCRIBED THEIR ENCOUNTER WITH SUCH VIVID DETAIL THAT IT HAS TO BE BELIEVABLE. THE ROOM, THE CONVERSATIONS, WHAT HE WAS WEARING, WHAT HE WASN'T WEARING. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THE DEFENSE HAS A VERY DIFFICULT JOB. >> BUT LOOK, THE HEART OF THE MATTER IS THAT AT A CERTAIN POINT WHEN HE WAS RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT, HE DECIDED THAT HE COULD NOT HAVE HER TELL TELL HER STORY. IT WAS RIGHT AFTER THE ACCESS HOLLYWOOD TAPE WHEN THEY WERE CRAZED ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT AMERICAN WOULD NOT HEAR ABOUT THIS AFFAIR AND IF THE DEFENSE WANTS TO TAKE THE TACK OF, TRYING TO DISPROVE WHAT SHE'S SAYING, GOOD LUCK TO THEM. AND, JOHN, WE'RE ALSO HEARING SOME INTERESTING TESTIMONY. AGAIN, DANIELS IS ON THE STAND AS WE SPEAK. SHE SAID AFTER THIS WHOLE ENCOUNTER THAT HER LIFE WAS AMAZING. >> IN HER WORDS, SHE GOT A RAISE. >> SHE DIRECTED MORE FILMS. SHE BROKE INTO MAINSTREAM FILMS. SHE HAD A KID. BUT SHE'S SAYING IT WAS ACTUALLY IN 2011 THAT SHE FIRED FIRST AT ANOTHER INTERACTION RELATED TO TRUMP WHERE SOMEONE TOLD HER TO STOP. SO WE'VE HEARD THIS STORY BEFORE, BUT NOT OBVIOUSLY ON STAND IN A COURTROOM. SO IT'S STORMY DANIELS IS NOW SPEAKING ABOUT DIANE IS IN 2011, SHE GAVE AN INTERVIEW TO INTOUCH MAGAZINE WHERE SHE TALKED ABOUT HER ENCOUNTER, HER RELATIONSHIP WITH TRUMP. HER INTERACTION DIDN'T GO MUCH FURTHER THAN THAT. KEPT IT VERY THOUSAND FEET. HOWEVER, SHE'S TALKING ABOUT AN INCIDENT NOW IN JUNE OF 2011 IN LAS VEGAS, SHE WAS IN A PARKING APPARENTLY COMING OUT OF A MOMMY AND ME CLASS WITH HER CHILD. AND SHE SAYS A MAN APPROACHED HER AND THREATENED HER, NOT CONTINUE TELLING HER STORY ABOUT HER ENCOUNTER WITH DONALD TRUMP. THE MAN ALLEGEDLY SAID TO DANIELS, QUOTE, HE TOLD ME NOT TO SAY ANYTHING AT ALL, AND I WAS SCARED. NOW, ACCORDING TO OUR TEAM, STORMY DANIELS APPARENTLY GETTING EMOTIONAL ON THE STAND WHILE RECOUNTING THIS NOTE. SHE'S BEEN WEARING GLASSES, ACCORDING TO OUR TEAM, RAISING THEM UP, NOT TO GET THEM FOGGY AS SHE'S BECOMING, YOU KNOW, PRETTY EMOTIONALLY UPSET. AND NOW IT'S ALSO INTERESTING THAT JURORS HEARD ABOUT A BLOG POST, WRITTEN TESTIMONY, KEITH DAVIDSON, WHO SENT A SEETHING LETTER TO THE BLOG GETTING THE POST REMOVED. ABOUT THAT EXCHANGE, ABOUT THAT SEXUAL ENCOUNTER WITH TRUMP. SO, AGAIN, THAT'S 2011. SO LET'S JUST, YOU KNOW, BRING THE TIMELINE OUT TO EVERYBODY HERE. 2006, THE ENCOUNTER 2007 LAST TIME DONALD TRUMP AND STORMY DANIELS SEE EACH OTHER 2011, THE MAGAZINE INTERVIEW. THIS ENCOUNTER WITH A MAN APPROACHING HER IN A PARKING LOT, BASICALLY SAYING STOP TALKING, DONALD TRUMP. WE ARE BUILDING CLOSER AND CLOSER TO THE CRESCENDO, IF YOU WILL, OF 2016. KEITH DAVIDSON MICHAEL COHEN CATCHING AND KILLING OUR STORY. >> AND JERRY, UP UNTIL NOW, THE THE JUDGE HAS WARNED THE PROSECUTION WHEN TALKING ABOUT THE SEXUAL ENCOUNTER THAT WE DON'T NEED ALL THE DETAILS HERE. RIGHT. TO TO SORT OF SLOW DOWN IN THAT RESPECT. HOW IMPORTANT ARE THE TO THIS PART OF THE STORY, WHAT HAPPENED AFTER AND NOW AS SHE STARTS TO TRY TO TELL HER STORY AND WHEN SHE SAYS SHE WAS FIRST TOLD TO KEEP HER MOUTH SHUT? >> WELL, THIS DETAILS PRESENTED A TEXTURE FOR THE FOR THE JURY TO HAVE A FEEL OF HER TRUTH TELLING, OF HER RECOLLECTION, OF ALL OF ALL OF HER ENCOUNTERS WITH DONALD TRUMP. SO THAT'S THE REASON WHY SHE'S BEING ASKED ABOUT ALL THESE DETAILS. BUT THE JUDGE REALLY DOESN'T WANT TO GO OVER A LINE THAT WHERE THE DETAILS BECOME SO PREJUDICIAL THAT, IT'S UNFAIR TO THE DEFENDANT AND IT'S NOT A BRIGHT LINE. SO JUDGE HAS TO MAKE A DETERMINATION. WELL, WHEN THERE'S AN OBJECTION THAT THERE'S A LITTLE TOO MUCH IN IN HER STORIES, BUT THERE'S ENOUGH IN HER TESTIMONY TO DEMONSTRATE THAT SHE'S NOT MAKING THIS UP ON THE STAND. AND IT APPEARS THAT SHE NEVER MADE THIS UP AT ALL, THAT THE HER RECOLLECTION OF ALL DETAILS THAT THE PROSECUTION HAS ELICITED FROM HER IS TRUTHFUL, AND THAT BEING THE CASE, THAT'S REALLY WHAT THE TAKEAWAY IS BY THE JURY. IF THE JURY DOES DECIDE THEY DO BELIEVE HER, THEN IT BECOMES IMPORTANT IN TERMS OF THE PASSION OF THE CATCH KILL SCHEME. >> BUT EVEN IF THEY DON'T BELIEVE ALL THE DETAILS, THE CATCH AND KILL SCHEME THAT TRUMP AND DAVID PECKER AND THE OTHERS CONSPIRED TO HAVE SO THAT HER HER STORY WON'T BECOME PUBLIC. WHETHER THEY WHETHER THE JURY BELIEVES THAT OR NOT, THEY DID DO THAT AND THEY DID PAY HER AND ESSENTIALLY THAT'S REALLY THE MOST IMPORTANT FACT THAT THAT THE JURY NEEDS TO TAKE AWAY IN TERMS WHAT THE PROSECUTION IS TRYING TO PROVE. >> AND BRIAN, EXCUSE ME AND ERIN, SHE'S TALKING A LITTLE MORE NOW ABOUT TRYING TO GET HER STORY OUT. WALK US THROUGH THE LATEST FROM TESTIMONY AND HOW STORMY DANIELS IS DESCRIBING ALL OF THIS. >> THIS IS ALL THE THE AFTERMATH OF OF A ENCOUNTER THAT SHE SPOKE ABOUT WITH DONALD TRUMP AND HOW IS TRYING TO OWN HER OWN NARRATIVE HERE AGAINST WHAT SHE DESCRIBED AS THIS PRESSURE TO TO STAY QUIET EVEN BEFORE THE 2016 ELECTION, SORT OF A PRELUDE. >> I WONDER SOME OF THE DETAILS HOW SOME OF THOSE DETAILS OF THE ALLEGED ENCOUNTER ARE PLAYING THE JURY, THE WAY STORMY DANIELS SPOKE AND THE WAY SUSAN HOPFINGER, THE PROSECUTOR, ELICITED SOME OF THE DETAILS ABOUT WHAT WENT ON IN THAT HOTEL ROOM IN 2006. IT ALMOST MADE IT SOUND YOU WERE LISTENING TO A VICTIM OF, A OF A CRIME, TESTIFY IN COURT. >> AND THAT'S NOWHERE THE ALLEGATION HERE. BUT -- BUT THAT'S WHAT IT SOUNDED LIKE TO ME WHEN I WAS LISTENING. AND I WONDER HOW THAT ULTIMATELY DOES PLAY WITH THE JURY. I EXPECT THE DEFENSE ON CROSS-EXAM WHEN IT COMES TO HONE IN ON THAT, TOO. TO REITERATE THAT THAT THIS WAS A WILLING ENCOUNTER AND THAT STORMY DANIELS KNOWS NOTHING ABOUT. THE HUSH PAYMENT OTHER THAN SHE RECEIVED IT. SHE DOESN'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT HOW IT WAS BOOKED IN THE GENERAL LEDGER OF THE TRUMP ORGANIZATION AS A LEGAL EXPENSE. >> AND WHY OR WHY NOT? THAT MAY BE PERTINENT. AND JOHN, NOW SHE'S TALKING A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT HOW WE WENT FROM THAT ENCOUNTER IN THE PARKING LOT AFTER THE INTOUCH MAGAZINE INTERVIEW TO WHEN SHE STARTED HER STORY AROUND. >> SO WHAT DANIELS JUST TESTIFIED ON THE STAND, DIANE, IS THAT SHE, HER AGENT AT THE TIME TO SHOP AROUND HER STORY. THIS IS IN 2016. DANIELS JUST TESTIFIED, QUOTE, MY MOTIVATION WASN'T MONEY. IT WAS TO GET THE STORY OUT. SHE GOES ON TO SAY IT WAS MOTIVATED OUT OF FEAR, NOT MONEY. SUSAN HOPFINGER, OF COURSE, THE LEAD PROSECUTOR IN THE CASE, ASKING HER WHY DIDN'T SHE ASK FOR MORE MONEY AS OPPOSED TO $130,000, WHICH COHEN OFFERED. AND RESPONDED BECAUSE I DIDN'T CARE ABOUT THE MONEY. NOW, AS ERIN JUST NOTED, I THINK THE REALITY OF IT IS THAT STORMY DANIELS KNOWLEDGE INFORMATION IN REAL TIME IS STARTING TO COME TO A CLOSE, IF YOU WILL, RIGHT? BECAUSE THE END OF THE DAY, SHE JUST WANTED TO GET THE STORY OUT THERE. THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN. SHE TOOK THE MONEY AND WAS SILENCED FOR A PERIOD OF TIME. EVENTUALLY, OBVIOUSLY, THE STORY DID COME OUT THERE AND WE KNOW DANIELS VERY FAMOUSLY GAVE A VERY BIG INTERVIEW TO 60 MINUTES WHERE SHE DID DETAIL ALL WELL AFTER THE 2016 ELECTION, TO BE CLEAR. >> WELL, NOW SHE'S, DETAILING IT ON THE STAND. JERRY, WHAT DO PROSECUTORS ULTIMATELY TO PROVE WITH THIS WITNESS? WHAT ARE THE KEY POINTS THAT THEY'RE GOING TO TRY TO HIT ON AND MAKE SURE TO HIT ON WITH STORMY DANIELS? >> AND SHE PAID $130,000 TO KEEP QUIET, PERIOD. >> AND THE STORY THE THE THE REASON WHY WANTED TO GET THE STORY OUT IS KIND OF IRRELEVANT. >> ALL THE THE RELATIONSHIP SHE DESCRIBED WITH TRUMP THAT INCLUDED THIS TRYST IS KIND OF IRRELEVANT. THE THE FACT THAT HE TOOK HER UP TO TRUMP TOWER AND INTRODUCED HER TO EVERYONE BECAUSE HE WAS COMFORTABLE WITH HER, THAT'S ALSO IRRELEVANT. THE ONLY THING THAT REALLY MATTERS IS, IS THAT HIS REAL LIFE PERSON WHO SEEMS TO HAVE A PRETTY GOOD RECOLLECTION OF ALL THE DETAILS OF THAT ENCOUNTER THAT THIS REAL LIFE PERSON WANTED TO TELL STORY FOR WHATEVER REASON, AND THEY PAID HER TO SHUT UP. >> AND THAT WAS THE TRIGGERING POINT FOR THE PAYMENT FOR THE COVER UP. AND THEN THE PROSECUTION NEEDS TO MOVE ON TO DEMONSTRATE THAT THE REASON THAT TRUMP DID THIS HIS INTENT WAS TO COMMIT OR CONCEAL ANOTHER CRIME, WHICH IS TO INFLUENCE THE ELECTION BY UNLAWFUL MEANS. AND THAT'S THE HEART OF OF THE TESTIMONY. ALL OTHER DETAIL THAT WE HAVE THAT THE PROSECUTION HAS ELICITED FROM HER IS JUST TO DEMONSTRATE THAT SHE'S A REAL LIFE PERSON WHO'S TELLING THE TRUTH. THAT BEING SAID, SHE WAS PAID TO BE QUIET AND ONE OF THE REASONS SHE WAS. WHAT ARE THE WHAT WAS THE MAIN REASON SHE WAS PAID TO BE QUIET? IT HAD TO DO WITH THE ELECTION . THAT'S THE GOAL OF THE PROSECUTION. THAT'S WHAT THE JURY AND LOOKS LIKE ERIN CAN'T HEAR ME? JOHN, WHAT ARE YOU HEARING FROM COURT JUST IN TERMS OF THE DYNAMICS, THE JURY? >> FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP AND HIS SON IN THE COURTROOM TODAY. >> EVERYONE IS JUST SITTING THERE. I MEAN, I'D HATE TO USE THE WORD, BUT ALMOST LIKE STUPEFIED BY IT ALL. I THINK JUST TAKING IT ALL IN. I THINK THE JURY HAS CONSISTENTLY DONE ONE THING TODAY WHICH IS NOT TAKE THEIR EYES OFF STORMY DANIELS IS DONALD TRUMP HAS DONE THE EXACT OPPOSITE. NOT LOOK AT STORMY DANIELS AT ALL. WE KNOW THAT IN THE FRONT ROW OF THIS COURTROOM RIGHT? DONALD TRUMP, ERIC TRUMP IS SITTING THERE. AND LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON, BOTH HAVE NOT LOOKED AT STORMY DANIELS. ACCORDING TO OUR TEAM, BOTH REPEATEDLY LOOKED DOWN. DONALD TRUMP'S BODY TURNED EVERY WHICH WAY TO NOT LOOK AT HER. I DO THINK THAT'S WHY WE SAW THE SKETCH OF THE COURTROOM EARLIER. YOU KNOW, THAT'S ONE THING THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO BE A LITTLE CAREFUL OF SOME OF THESE SKETCHES, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING. THAT PHOTO CLEARLY ACCURATE, RIGHT STORMY ON THE STAND, SUSAN HOFF. AND YOU'RE QUESTIONING THEM. WE SEE THE SKETCH RIGHT THERE OF DONALD TRUMP AND STORMY DANIELS IN THAT NOW INFAMOUS PHOTO OF THE TWO TOGETHER IN 2006, RIGHT BEFORE THE ENCOUNTER HAPPENED AT THAT GOLF CLUB IN LAKE TAHOE. BUT HERE'S THE ONLY THING WRONG WITH, THAT PICTURE. DONALD TRUMP'S EYES, IT'S STORMY DANIELS IN THAT PICTURE, NOT
