AMNA: STORMY DANIELS, THE ADULT FILM ACTRESS AT THE CENTER OF THE CRIMINAL HUSH MONEY TRIAL AGAINST FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP, TOOK THE STAND IN NEW YORK CITY TODAY.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM HAS MORE ON THE VOLATILE DAY IN COURT.

WILLIAM: IN SOMETIMES GRAPHIC DETAIL, STORMY DANIELS DESCRIBED THE ONE SEXUAL ENCOUNTER SHE ALLEGES SHE HAD WITH TRUMP, AND THE SIX FIGURE PAYMENT SHE RECEIVED FROM TRUMP'S LAWYER TO BUY HER SILENCE BEFORE THE 2016 ELECTION.

TRUMP DENIES ANY SEXUAL RELATIONSHIP WITH HER.

DANIELS WAS FORCEFULLY CROSS EXAMINED BY TRUMP'S LEGAL TEAM, WHO QUESTIONED HER FINANCIAL MOTIVES, AND SHIFTING STORIES ABOUT HER ENCOUNTER WITH THE FORMER PRESIDENT.

ANDREA BERNSTEIN IS COVERING THE TRIAL FOR NPR, AND JOINS US AGAIN NOW.

ANDREA, WHAT DID WE LEARN FROM STORMY DANIELS TODAY?

>> IT WAS QUITE A SCENE, BECAUSE THIS IS A TRIAL WARY OF -- WE HAVE HEARD NOW TESTIMONY FROM THE FORMER PUBLISHER OF THE NATIONAL ENQUIRER, FROM STORMY DANIELS LAW YOUR HIM ABOUT THE DEAL THEY SET UP, WE'VE HEARD FROM MICHAEL COHEN.

HERE WAS THE WOMAN AT THE CENTER OF IT ALL, COMING FORWARD FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A COURT TO TELL HER STORY OF THIS ENCOUNTER WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP AT A CELEBRITY GOLF TOURNAMENT IN 2006.

AS YOU SAID, IT WAS QUITE GRAPHIC, BUT SHE WALKED THE JURY THROUGH WHAT HAPPENED.

HE INVITED HER UP TO HIS SUITE, THEY WERE SPEAKING, SHE WENT TO USE THE RESTROOM AND WHEN HE -- WHEN SHE CAME OUT HE WAS LYING ON THE BED IN HIS UNDERWEAR, SHE SAID, AND THEN THEY HAD SEX.

THAT IS WHAT IS AT THE HEART OF ALL THIS HUSH MONEY DEAL, TRYING TO SILENCE IT, AND HERE WE ARE IN 2024 WITH HER TESTIMONY AS IT HAPPENED IN 2006.

WILLIAM: TRUMP'S LAWYERS AT ONE POINT CITING SOME OF THOSE GRAPHIC DETAILS, SAYING THEY WERE PREJUDICIAL TO THE JURY AND PUSHED FOR A MISTRIAL.

HOW DID THE JUDGE RESPOND TO THAT?

>> TRUMP WAS ABOUT AS AGITATED AS I HAVE SEEN HIM IN THISASE, LEANING OVER AND TALKING TO HIS LAWYERS, CLEARLY VERY UPSET DURING ALL OF STORMY DANIELS TESTIMONY.

OF COURSE HE HAS DENIED HAVING ANY KIND OF RELATIONSHIP WITH HER.

AFTER LUNCH, HIS LAWYERS CAME BACK TO THE JUDGE AND SAID THIS IS A CASE ABOUT BUSINESS RECORDS .

THE PROSECUTION SAID NO, THIS IS NECESSARY TO COMPLETE THE NARRATIVE.

THIS IS A STORY ABOUT WHAT HAPPEN, THE JURY NEEDS TO HEAR IT.

IN FACT IT IS THE STORY THAT TRUMP AND MICHAEL COHEN TRIED TO KEEP SILENT.

THE JUDGE SAID HE WAS NOT GOING TO DECLARE A MISTRIAL BUT HE WISHES THERE WERE DETAILS THAT HAD NOT COME OUT.

IN THE AFTERNOON TESTIMONY, CLOSE RAIN WAS KEPT ON STORMY DANIELS.

THEN IT WAS THE DEFENSE TURN TO CROSS-EXAMINE HER.

IT WAS A VERY AGITATED DAY OF TESTIMONY IN THE COURTHOUSE IN LOWER MANHATTAN.

WILLIAM: TELL US A LITTLE MORE ABOUT THAT CROSS-EXAMINATION.

>> THE DETAILS OF THE ENCOUNTER THAT STORMY DANIELS LAID OUT DID SYNC UP WITH WHAT OTHER WITNESSES HAVE TESTIFIED, FROM TRUMP CALLING HER HONEYBUNCH TO THE CONTEXT THAT SHE MADE THROUGH HIS EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT.

WHAT THE DEFENSE WANTED TO LEAN INTO IS ALL OF THE CONTRADICTORY ACCOUNTS THAT STORMY DANIELS HAS GIVEN SINCE THIS HAPPENED.

THOSE ARE OUT THERE, SHE OBVIOUSLY DENIED THE STORY FOR A LONG TIME, PUT HER TOE IN THE WATER ABOUT TELLING IT 2011, DREW BACK, THEN MADE AN NDA WITH COHEN ON BEHALF OF TRUMP AS SHE UNDERSTOOD IT IN 2016 DURING THE CAMPAIGN.

SHE TESTIFIED HOW ANXIOUS HE WAS THAT HE WOULD EVER PAY HER.

THE DEFENSE JUST WANTED TO DWELL ON ALL OF THE CONTRADICTORY ACCOUNTS THAT SHE IN FACT HATED TRUMP, THAT SHE OWED HIM MONEY FROM AN UNSUCCESSFUL DEFAMATION CLAIM SHE HAD AGAINST HIM.

IT WILL BE UP TO THE JUDGE TO SORT OUT WHETHER IT OVERWHELMS THE TESTIMONY ABOUT WHAT SHE SAID HAPPEN IN 2006 AND HOW SHE MADE THIS DEAL WITH THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN OR WITH TRUMP THROUGH MICHAEL COHEN LATE IN THE CAMPAIGN IN 2016.

WILLIAM: SO HOW DID?

DANIELS RESPOND TO ALL OF THAT?

AS YOU WERE SAYING, HER STORY HAS SHIFTED OVER TIME.

CERTAINLY IT ONE POINT SHE -- HOW DOES SHE DEFEND HERSELF TO SAY, IN FACT THIS IS WHY MY STORY MAKES SENSE IN ITS TOTALITY?

>> THIS CROSS-EXAMINATION IS GOING TO CONTINUE ON THURSDAY.

THERE IS NO TESTIMONY TOMORROW.

SHE DID NOT EXACTLY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SAY BELIEVE WHAT I HAVE TO BELIEVE, BUT SHE STOOD BY THE HEART OF HER STORY, WHICH IS THAT SHE HAD A SEXUAL ENCOUNTER WITH DONALD TRUMP IN 2006, AND THEN DECIDED TO SELL IT IN 2016.

OF COURSE THAT IS ALL THE PROSECUTION NEEDS, NEVERTHELESS THE JURY WAS TREATED TO MANY STATEMENTS SHE WAS -- HAD GIVEN DENYING THERE WAS AN ENCOUNTER, AND THAT IS SOMETHING THE PROSECUTION WILL LIKELY TRY TO CLEAN UP WHEN THEY GET TO REDIRECT.

BUT IT STILL EXISTS AND IS SOMETHING THE JURY WILL JUST HAVE TO CONSIDER WHEN THEY GO OVER ALL THE EVIDENCE.

WILLIAM: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR GETTING US THROUGH ALL THIS.