Donald Trump trial live updates: Stormy Daniels returns to the stand in the hush money case

The atmosphere inside courtroom 1530 was already electric. A brooding Donald Trump glared out at the ranks of press as if to gauge the size of his audience before prosecutors and defense lawyers haggled over how much of the mechanics of his alleged affair could be brought up before the jury.

Only no-one had reckoned with the way porn star Stormy Daniels would become a runaway witness as she described their 2006 hotel encounter.

'I had my clothes and my shoes off. I believe my bra however was still on. We were in the missionary position,' Daniels said.

Read the full account of Daniels' testimony below.

Susan Necheles is asking Stormy Daniels a series of questions about trying to sell her story before the 2016 election.

‘I never asked for money from anyone in particular, I asked for money to tell my story,’ Daniels says.

She claims she was ‘asking to sell my story to publications to get the truth out.’

Necheles suggests she could have done it with a press conference.

‘I could have,’ Daniels says. She adds that she ‘chose to be safe.’

‘You chose to make money?’ Necheles says.

Daniels says she chose to take a nondisclosure agreement.

Necheles has brought up conversations Daniels had with a Slate reporter who tried to convince her to let him publish her story.

Daniels says it was backup if the nondisclosure agreement fell through.

Daniels also says the nondisclosure agreement was a ‘better alternative.’

She claims it would have protected her story with a paper trail.

Necheles says if the story came out there would have been a paper trail.

Daniels says it would have ‘with a target on my back and my family’s.’

She called the nondisclosure agreement a ‘perfect solution.’

Necheles asks if the motivation to go public also was to hurt Trump politically for his 'newfound' opposition to abortion and gay marriage saying she wanted money or would hurt him?

'No,' Daniels says.

From Rob Crilly, Senior U.S. Political Reporter in the courtroom:

Donald Trump arrived in the courtroom at 9:25 a.m. ET with a bigger retinue than any other day.

Florida Senator Rick Scott took a seat in the row behind the defendant, with Trump's attorney Alina Habba.

Natalie Harp is in her usual seat in the second row next to the aisle.

As Trump entered, Newsmax host Greg Kelly stood up in the public gallery, wished him luck and flashed a thumbs up. He was quickly ordered to sit down.

Real estate investor Steve Witkoff is also in Trump's small group of supporters.

Donald Trump's defense lawyer Susan Necheles is questioning the witness.

She has pulled up communications about Daniels attempting to sell her story in 2016.

Prosecutors ask the judge to block an arrest of Stormy Daniels from being submitted into evidence.

The arrest did not result in charges nor a conviction for assault. Therefore, Judge Merchan says it cannot be brought up.

Trump’s defense lawyer Susan Necheles says she would like to ask about Daniels’ husband accusing her of assault and the prosecutors object that anyone can make an accusation.

The judge rejects it being brought up.

He says it was 'not probative of anything' as the case went nowhere and Daniels was not convicted.

Ted Cruz has issued an unusual defense of Donald Trump amid Stormy Daniels' salacious testimony.

The Republican Texas senator said people should not be shocked that Donald Trump has not been 'celibate'.

Cruz said:

Donald Trump spoke to reporters before entering the courtroom on Thursday morning.

The ex-president blasted the case against him.

He was joined by lawyer Todd Blanche.

Also with Trump in court today is Florida Senator Rick Scott, adviser Boris Epshteyn and lawyer Alina Habba.

A court officer told photographers in the hallway that Judge Merchan is no longer allowing photography in the courtroom for the rest of the trial.

Photographers had been allowed to take photos of Donald Trump at the start of the day from the front of the courtroom but from nowhere else.

Someone reportedly violated the order by taking a photograph from the aisle while walking to the front of the court.

Photographers are limited to taking photographs from the hallway only when Trump enters and exits.

Here is an example from May 7 of the photography that previously had been permitted:

Donald Trump departed Trump Tower to head to the Manhattan criminal court.

The ex-president waved before heading to his motorcade.

President Joe Biden is watching the news coverage of Donald Trump’s hush-money trial.

‘Only on the evening news,’ he told CNN’s Erin Burnett in an interview that aired on Wednesday night.

He also used one of his favorite phrases to indicate he’s praying for his Republican rival.

'God love him,' Biden said.

Biden has been hitting the campaign trail while Trump has been stuck in a New York City courtroom four days a week.

Stormy Daniels walked into the Manhattan Criminal Court early on Thursday morning to prepare to take the stand in the hush money trial for the second time.

She was surrounded by law enforcement and had her glasses on her head as was guided into the court complex.

From Emily Goodin, Senior Political Reporter:

Melania Trump is believed to be in Mar-a-Lago as Stormy Daniels took the stand in the Donald Trump hush money trial.

As Daniels was describing her sexual encounter with the former president, the former first lady has remained behind closed doors of the Trumps’ private club in Palm Beach.

She is preparing for the couple’s son Barron to graduate from high school on Friday, May 17th. And she’s been selling a gold flower pendant in honor of Mother’s Day that can be customized with a person’s initials.

Barron attends a high school in Palm Beach, which is the main residence of his parents. The Trumps have not announced where he will go to college.

Melania hasn’t been seen by Donald Trump’s side in 31 days, since she joined him at a fundraiser for his presidential campaign on April 6th.

She was last seen when she hosted a fundraiser for Log Cabin Republicans at Mar-a-Lago on April 20th.

The event was closed to press coverage but former Trump administration official Richard Grenell, who is openly gay, posted photos on social media of him and the former first lady hosting the gathering.

Melania is reported to be reading coverage of the New York trial even though she is said to consider it her husband’s problem.

When the news of Donald Trump’s affair with Daniels – which he denies – originally broke in 2017, the then-first lady was said to be blindsided and furious with her husband.

Hundreds of people lined up at the Manhattan Criminal Court on Thursday morning to see the second act of the Stormy Daniels show.

Cops closed the gate to the park as hordes showed up hoping to get a space to watch her testimony continue.

When Stormy Daniels took the stand in Donald Trump’s hush money case, her salacious testimony was a lewd story of unwanted, unprotected, blackout missionary sex nearly 20 years ago with a married celebrity who would go on to run for and become President of the United States.

Trump, now the  2024 presumptive Republican presidential nominee, is facing 34 criminal charges for falsifying business records for allegedly trying to hide the payment to Daniels before the 2016 election.

Legal experts believe Stormy Daniels' detailed testimony should not have been allowed and actually damaged the prosecution case despite her being an important witness in supporting their theory that there was an effort to violate election law.

Read more below

Stormy Daniels will return to the witness stand in Donald Trump’s hush money trial to continue her extraordinary testimony.

The porn star went into lurid and salacious detail on Tuesday about the night with the former president in a hotel room in 2006 where they allegedly had sex.

Her allegations and claims against Trump, which he has furiously denied, led to the defense asking for multiple objections and demanding a mistrial.