HBO host Bill Maher criticized Stormy Daniels' testimony in the New York trial against former President Trump, calling her a "bad witness" and questioning the credibility of her account of an alleged affair.
Bill Maher, the host of HBO's "Real Time," expressed strong dissatisfaction with the testimony of adult film actress Stormy Daniels in the ongoing New York trial against former President Donald Trump. During a panel discussion on his show, Maher vehemently criticized Daniels, arguing that her testimony lacked credibility.
Maher played clips from a previous interview he conducted with Daniels in 2018, where she had characterized her alleged encounter with Trump differently than she did in court. In the earlier interview, Daniels had denied that the incident was a case of sexual assault or coercion. However, in court, she used language that paralleled the #MeToo movement's terminology, describing an "imbalance of power" and "blacking out."
Maher found these inconsistencies problematic, questioning Daniels' trustworthiness as a witness. He highlighted her experience as a porn star as evidence that she would not be as susceptible to fear or intimidation during a sexual encounter as she claimed.
"She's a porn star!" Maher exclaimed. "Do you really think she blacked out? A porn star is used to having sex with people she doesn't [like]... I just think she's not a good witness."
Maher also expressed his disappointment with the slow progress in the criminal cases against Trump, pointing to the Georgia election interference case and the recent discovery of classified documents at Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence. He had previously expressed optimism about the potential impact of the New York trial on the upcoming presidential election, but Daniels' testimony tempered his enthusiasm.
"This one, I got to say I was always against [it] because I thought of all the ones you're bringing, this is the least serious," Maher had said about the New York trial two weeks ago. "Now I think Trump could lose."
However, Daniels' testimony has led Maher to question the trial's potential to sway public opinion. He believes that Trump could emerge unscathed from the trial, despite the allegations against him, and that the case may not be the game-changer he had hoped for.
Maher's criticism of Daniels' testimony has sparked a debate about the credibility of her account and the impact of her testimony on the trial's outcome. As the trial progresses, it remains to be seen whether Daniels' evidence will influence the jury's decision or whether Maher's skepticism will be vindicated.
