Almost everyone and their grandparents have been talking about it—Trump’s spotted past and alleged lurid affairs. Thursday (Mar. 22), CNN aired Anderson Cooper’s interview with Karen McDougal, a former Playmate of the Year, who alleged having an affair with Donald Trump before he became president.
On Sunday (Mar. 25), just days after the McDougal interview, Anderson sat down with another woman, Stephanie Clifford (otherwise known as Stormy Daniels, the adult film actress). She too has alleged having a sexual relationship with citizen Trump. CBS’ "60 Minutes" aired the Daniels interview in which she shared that the affair with Donald Trump happened around the same time as the McDougal affair.
Both women claimed that the affairs began just months after Melania gave birth to their son.
Make it rain
Stormy first came into wide public view when she filed a lawsuit against Donald Trump in order to be released from a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) she signed 11 days before the presidential election. She was also paid $130,000 to not discuss the affair which she has offered to repay in order to speak out.
In the latter part of 2017, Michael Cohen, Trump’s attorney, publicly stated that he was the one who had paid Stormy and that it was out of his own pocket. Cohen also claimed that Trump had been none the wiser. This statement was perhaps made in efforts to quash a potential snowball-scandal that had already begun rolling downhill.
The NDA that was signed, was done so by Stormy and Michael Cohen. There was another signature line on the document for Donald's signature but it was never signed, and ultimately left blank.
In several TV interviews and the lawsuit filing, Stormy's attorney Michael Avenatti asserted that because of those two important factors, the agreement is null and void.
He also cited its invalidity being the linchpin of freedom for his client to tell her side of the story.
Regardless of the reason for Cohen paying off the actress, there are a couple of major issues here. These issues can have devastating consequences for the president, as well as his attorney -- who, by the way, has also acquired legal representation, according to CNN.
The first problem for Cohen is, if the NDA was indeed entered into as a way to keep Ms. Daniels quiet so that it wouldn’t hurt Trump’s chances of being elected, this would be a violation of campaign rules and ethics. Also, CBS reported that Cohen could even be considered to have broken campaign finance laws in his arrangement with Clifford. Additionally, he is subject to complaints to the Federal Election Commission and the Justice Department.
The second issue is, if Cohen paid Daniels the money without the knowledge or consent of his client, then this could be viewed as misconduct and a professional ethics violation which could place him in very hot water with the Bar Association in the state he is licensed.
Rumble of thunder
Just like the Parkland kids and the #NeverAgain movement, Robert Mueller and the Russia probe, Stormy is not going away. Some even say Trump has met his match.
Since the story broke, Trump, who is famous for his tweeting, has been silent on the Stormy issue, which has America asking why. And to be fair, the White House has denied both of these affairs but people are still looking for a direct response from the POTUS himself.
Steady downpour
The Karen McDougal interview from Thursday (Mar. 22) night and Stormy’s interview from Sunday (Mar. 25) had similar details about their Trump encounters. Both ladies claimed they used no protection when they were intimate with Trump, and Melania was of no concern.
McDougal and Daniels both stated that they were repeatedly compared to Donald”s daughter, Ivanka, and referred to as special -- like her.
There were two distinct differences of note from the women’s interviews. One was Daniels’ colorful story of spanking Trump in his tidy-whities in response to his narcissistic behavior. This allegedly occurred before their tryst.
Another difference was Stormy's allegations of being threatened twice to remain quiet, once in 2011 and again in 2016. According to Daniels, the 2011 threat was face-to-face and supposedly delivered by Michael Cohen, who denies ever threatening Daniels.
Lightning will strike
After the CBS interview aired, CNN’s Ana Cabrera spoke with a panel of legal and political experts and a member of the Women for Trump organization about Stormy’s allegations.
The representative from the Women for Trump organization echoed what many right-wing conservatives have been saying each time Trump finds himself caught between headlines. It is the notion that America doesn’t care what the president has done before he was the leader of the free world, and that US citzens are more concerned about jobs and the economy.
It is true that Americans care about their jobs and the economy, but it is also true that we Americans care about the presidency and how America is viewed as a global leader. If the tides do not change then America could face political crises at different levels.
CNN’s political commentator David Gergen said it best -- and most would agree -- when it comes to the presidency, character matters.
Many Americans are tired of hearing about Trump’s affairs and are embarrassed. It is understood that these alleged incidents have caused the POTUS great distress, and America too.
Perhaps the hurricane of problems will end and give way to clear blue skies, but only time will tell. Until then, America remains hopeful, and can take comfort in knowing that lightning rarely strikes twice.
