After his own 60 Minutes interview shortly after he clinched the presidency in November 2016 Donald Trump called the shows executive producer, Jeff Fager, to ask if the episode broke any ratings records. It hadnt in fact, it hadnt even beaten Sunday Night Football. This weeks installment of the long-running CBS show however, is expected to break viewership records. In an interview with Anderson Cooper, the adult film star Stormy Daniels divulged details of their affair, the subsequent contract to keep her quiet, and said for the first time she was physically threatened before going public with the story years ago.
Trump, who was back in the White House after spending the weekend at Mar-a-Lago when the interview aired, did not answer reporters questions about whether or not he planned to watch the show. (He didnt tweet about it, either.) So, Mr. President, if youre reading this, heres what you missed:
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This Isnt a #MeToo Story
Some observers have lumped Daniels story in with the Me Too movement, but she rejects the association. Ive never said I was a victim. I think trying to use me to further someone elses agenda does horrible damage to people who are true victims, Daniels told Cooper. Still, her experience was not a positive one: Daniels says she did not want to have sex with Trump; that she, a 27-year-old, was not attracted to him, a 60-year-old.
But she admits she did not say no when he initiated sex, and she did not insist he wear a condom. I just felt like maybe, sort of, I had it coming for making a bad decision for going to someones room alone and I just heard the voice in my head, Well, you put yourself in a bad situation and bad things happen, so you deserve this.'
Yes, She Spanked Him With a Magazine His Face Was On
Daniels offered more details on the previously reported story that she spanked Donald Trump with a copy of a magazine with his face and possibly his daughters and his sons on it. She told Cooper the whole thing started with Trump showing off a magazine he was featured on. She says she mocked him for the clumsy come-on. She says she asked, Does this normally work for you? And he looked very taken back, like, he didnt really understand what I was saying. Like, does, just, you know, talking about yourself normally work? And I was like, Someone should take that magazine and spank you with it.'
And so, she claims, she did: She took the magazine out of his hand and told him to turn around and drop his pants. So he turned around and pulled his pants down a little you know, had underwear on and stuff, and I just gave him a couple swats, she says.
He Told Her She Reminded Him of Ivanka
Daniels says during their encounter, Trump compared her favorably to his daughter. He was like, Wow, you are special. You remind me of my daughter Youre smart and beautiful, and a woman to be reckoned with, and I like you. I like you.'
He Offered Her a Role on The Apprentice
The night they slept together, Daniels says, Trump offered to cast her on The Apprentice too. He goes, Got an idea, honeybunch would you ever consider going on and being a contestant? And I laughed and said NBCs never gonna let, you know, an adult film star be on. He goes, No, no, he goes, Thats why I want you youre gonna shock a lotta people, youre smart and they wont know what to expect.'
He Told Her That He and Melania Slept in Separate Bedrooms
Cooper asked Daniels if Trump ever mentioned Melania or their son Barron, to whom she had just given birth. She says when she brought it up, he dismissed the question. I asked. And he brushed it aside, said, Oh yeah, yeah, you know, dont worry about that. We dont even we have separate rooms and stuff.'
He Met Her at the Same Hotel Where He Allegedly Harassed a Former Apprentice Star
The second time Daniels says she saw Trump was at the Beverly Hills Hilton, where she says hed invited her to discuss the possibility of appearing on The Apprentice. Her story is similar to the one told by Summer Zervos, a former Apprentice contestant, who alleges Trump came on to her at the hotel after asking her there to discuss business. (Zervos is currently suing Trump for defamation.)
He came and sat next to me and, you know, touched my hair, and put his hand on my leg, and referenced back to how great it was the last time, Daniels says. So I then was like, Well, before, you know, can we talk about whats the development? And he was like, Im almost there. Ill have an answer for you next week. And I was like, OK, cool. Well, I guess call me next week. And I just took my purse and left.
She Was Physically Threatened
Back in 2011, Daniels had initially agreed to sell her story to anIn Touch sister publication magazine for $15,000. The story never came out, though, and Daniels told Cooper that, at the time, she was approached and physically threatened by a man outside a fitness class in Las Vegas.
I was in a parking lot, going to a fitness class with my infant daughter. Taking, you know, the seats facing backwards in the backseat, diaper bag, you know, getting all the stuff out, Daniels said. And a guy walked up on me and said to me, Leave Trump alone. Forget the story. And then he leaned around and looked at my daughter and said, Thats a beautiful little girl. Itd be a shame if something happened to her mom. And then he was gone.
She said she would recognize the man if she saw him again and that the experience rattled her.
She Says She Only Signed the Contract Because She Still Feared for Her Safety
After Trump secured the Republican nomination seven years later, Daniels said she was approached again by the tabloids to talk about her affair with Trump. The story was coming out again. I was concerned for my family and their safety, she said. I didnt even negotiate. I just quickly said yes to this very, you know, strict contract. And what most people will agree with me extremely low number.
Same With Those Letters Saying There Was No Contract
She signed them Clifford said, because they made it sound like I had no choice the exact sentence used was, They can make your life hell in many different ways.'
She May or May Not Have Video, Photographs, Emails and Text Message Evidence
When asked if she has physical evidence corroborating her relationship, Daniels replied, My attorney has recommended that I dont discuss those things. Her attorney, Michael Avenatti, recently tweeted a photograph of a CD-Rom suggesting he might have such material. When Cooper asked what he would say to people who accused him of bluffing, Avenatti said only, You should ask some of the other people in my career when theyve bet on me bluffing.