Verifying 6 Outlandish Claims Regarding Stormy Daniels and Donald Trump
Rumors Circulating About Trump’s Purported Affair
Since adult film actress Stormy Daniels came up in 2006 with the accusation that she had an extramarital affair with former US president Donald Trump, rumors and conjecture around the affair have been prevalent on social media. The stories took on new relevance when, in April 2024, Trump became the first sitting president to be charged with a crime. His effort to conceal information about him and Daniels via the manipulation of corporate papers is accused of on 23 counts. The following is an unorganized collection of the viral allegations that have circulated about Daniels and Trump.
1. Daniels and Cesar Sayoc Were Both Employees at the Same Strip Club
Cesar Sayoc, of Florida, was arrested by federal authorities in October 2018 on charges related to the mailing of multiple explosive devices to prominent Democrats, liberal financier George Soros, and others who had spoken out against former President Trump. On two separate occasions in April of 2018, Daniels gave performances at the West Palm Beach, Florida strip club Ultra Lounge. As reported by Snopes, after a span of 4.5 months, Cesar Sayoc started working at the same establishment, juggling the roles of doorman and DJ. The two days that Daniels played at the Ultra Lounge did not coincide with the two months that Sayoc worked there, and they were not even acquainted before that. Additionally, Daniels was never hired there.
2. Melania Trump Did Not Surprise Trump With Any Announcement Because of Stormy Daniels’ Claims
Titled "Melania Just Hit Donald Trump With Shocking Announcement He Never Saw Coming," the article was published on May 6, 2018, by the online site RealtimePolitics. Despite the headline's strong implication that a divorce was imminent, the report failed to include any 'shocking' or other statement that former First Lady Melania Trump may have made to Donald Trump at the time. The article failed to provide any substantial context or analysis, instead rehashing fragments of the Stormy Daniels scandal and rumors about Melanias purported unwillingness to be photographed beside her husband at public engagements.
3. A Televangelist Denounced the Allegations of an Affair Between Donald Trump and a Porn Actress
According to an article published by the Babylon Bee on 19 January 2018, porn actress Stormy Daniels had an affair with Trump several years ago. In response to allegations that Trump's lawyer had paid $130,000 to keep quiet about the affair, televangelist Jim Bakker claimed that Trump's time with Daniels had consisted of 'sharing with her the good news of Jesus Christ,' rather than sexual intercourse. Due to Bakker's prominence as a televangelist who advocates for Trump, some individuals who came saw the story on social media may have been inclined to accept it. Unfortunately, Babylon Bee, a satirical website, had published it as fiction.
4. Trump Did Not Place an Order for Pizza With 'Littler Pizzas' on It
Comedian and author Justin Halpern allegedly shared a screenshot in January 2018 depicting a racy passage from Stormy Daniels's In Touch interview on her alleged romance with Donald Trump. He wrote on X, "The sex stuff in the Trump-Stormy Daniels interview is bizarre but I think this is by far the weirdest thing in the whole transcript." The edited screenshot that went viral did not include the emphasized language from Stormy Daniel's interview; it was a Photoshop job. In the actual transcript, however, Daniels admits that she can't recall Trump's dinner order.
5. A Picture of President Trump, First Lady Melania, and His Alleged Mistress Stormy Daniels Went Viral
In March 2018, as the Stormy Daniels controversy gained steam, a photo supposedly depicting the individuals involved navigating a group of photographers began to circulate online. It turned out to be a composite of at least two photos, not a real one of the Trumps with Stormy Daniels. As per The Daily Mail, this photo of the Trump family was taken during the October 2005 Night of Stars event hosted by Fashion Group International. It included the future president, his wife, and their daughter, Ivanka Trump. The original picture did not include Stormy Daniels
6. Stormy Daniels Never Committed Suicide or Left a Suicide Note
It has long been a form of internet hoax to falsely report the deaths of celebrities and other public figures. This instance was no different—Stormy Daniels was alive and well—but on January 16, 2019, the junk news site AmericanNewsNow.us published a disturbing story claiming that adult film actress Stormy Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, had committed suicide after leaving a note admitting she never had an affair with Trump. Ending on a frightening tone, the AmericanNewsNow piece read: "Apparently, the only honest Democrat is a dead Democrat."
