A star witness speaks out
Donald Trump’s criminal hush money trial in New York took another salacious turn this week with the testimony of former adult film star Stormy Daniels.
While on the stand, she offered up a number of lurid details about her sexual encounter with Trump. And there were certain moments — including her accounting of having “blacked out” during part of the encounter and her defiant response to the defense’s accusations that she was lying — that I still cannot get out of my head.
Hearing her story now also makes clear why Trump wanted it suppressed in the first place, and the lengths he may have gone to keep it that way. Her testimony is evidence of his motive.
A number of legal experts have also raised the possibility that Daniels’ colorful answers — as well as the implication that the encounter was not entirely consensual — may be used by Trump’s lawyers as grounds for a mistrial on appeal.
But let’s not forget, it was Trump’s conduct that warranted her testimony in the first place. After all, it was Trump who deemed Daniels’ story so powerful that he decided he had to hide it from the American people.
A story you should be following: Down the wormhole
A whole lot can happen in the six months between now and the November presidential election.
To put things in perspective, at this point in 2008, the financial markets hadn’t yet crashed. At this point in 2004, the so-called “Swift Boat Veterans for Truth” hadn’t yet launched their infamous smear of John Kerry. And at this point in 2016, Russia hadn’t yet leaked any of the hacked emails that would prove so damaging to Hillary Clinton’s campaign.
So all of the armchair quarterbacking over how the candidates should be campaigning right now feels a bit overcranked. There are too many unknowns that might influence the vote.
However, there is one thing that we already know will have some kind of impact in November, for better or worse: the independent candidacy of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (his brain worm notwithstanding).
In recent polling of battleground states, the presidential race narrows substantially when Kennedy is added to the mix. A Muhlenberg College poll of Pennsylvania shows Trump and President Joe Biden tied at 35% when Kennedy is factored in. And a Quinnipiac University poll of Wisconsin shows Biden 1 point ahead of Trump, with Kennedy at 12%.
To what degree Kennedy tips the scales may depend on his success in gaining additional ballot access. So far, he’s only on the ballot in five states, including Michigan, which is a must-win for the president.
Kennedy knows he’s playing the role of a spoiler, though, and that will forever tarnish his legacy, such as it is. In fact, he seems to revel in hurting Biden, telling Ari Melber in a recent interview, “He can’t win if I stay in.”
Some people you should know: Maryland’s Democratic Senate primary candidates
We’re just days away from the Democratic Senate primary in Maryland, which is set to be one of the most competitive this year. There are 10 candidates vying to fill Sen. Ben Cardin’s seat, but the front-runners, Rep. David Trone and Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks, are effectively neck and neck in the polls.
Whoever wins will likely face formidable competition from former Republican Gov. Larry Hogan, who has a long history of winning statewide elections.
To date, Trone has invested $57 million of his own money in his campaign, outspending Alsobrooks more than 9 to 1. Yet despite his cash advantage, the race is now deadlocked. Just 1 point separates the two leading candidates according to an Emerson College poll this week.
Alsobrooks has gained ground amid the growing outrage over Trone’s use of a racial slur, which he says was inadvertent. A super PAC aligned with EMILY’s List, called Women Vote!, also lent a hand to Alsobrooks’ campaign with a recent anti-Trone attack ad. But it’s unclear if that salvo will make a significant difference in the closing days before the election.
With notable advantages on both sides, I’ll certainly be keeping an eye on this hot race ahead of the general election.
Scott Galloway’s weekend routine
Scott Galloway is a marketing professor at the NYU Stern School of Business and the author of the new book “The Algebra of Wealth: A Simple Formula for Financial Security.”
What show are you bingeing right now?
“One Day” on Netflix.
What’s the last book you read?
“Thinking, Fast and Slow” by Daniel Kahneman.
What time do you wake up on the weekends?
On weekends I rarely wake up before 10 a.m.
How do you take your coffee?
Latte.
Jen Psaki is the host of "The Briefing with Jen Psaki" airing Tuesdays through Fridays at 9 p.m. EST. She is the former White House press secretary for President Joe Biden.