Prior to Donald Trump’s New York trial, Newsmax hyped Trump posting on social media a statement by Stormy Daniels — to whom he paid hush money to cover up his alleged affair with her, the core incident that led to criminal charges against him — denying the affair. But writer Brian Freeman was just doing pro-Trump stenography, censoring the fact that the statement has been public for years, that Daniel recanted it shortly afterward and that she said she originally signed it because was effectively threatened into doing so. Newsmax reporters apparently don’t read their own website or conduct any research prior to publication, because the apparently unironically named Charlie McCarthy hyped that statement again doing the trial, in a May 8 article:
Social media users blasted adult film star Stormy Daniels after her testimony in Donald Trump’s New York criminal trial contradicted statements with her signature from more than six years ago.
Daniels took the witness stand Tuesday, describing for jurors a sexual encounter she claims she had with him in 2006 that resulted in her being paid off to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
However, X user Bo Loudon shared two January 2018 statements, with Daniels’ signature, saying allegations of a sexual encounter with Trump were “completely false.”
[…]“My involvement with Donald Trump was limited to a few public appearances and nothing more. When I met Donald Trump, he was gracious, professional and a complete gentleman to me and EVERYONE in my presence.
“Rumors that I have received hush money from Donald Trump are completely false. If indeed I did have a relationship with Donald Trump, trust me, you wouldn’t be reading about it in the news, you would be reading about it in my book. But the fact of the matter is, these stories are not true.”
Then on Jan, 30, 2018, Daniels signed a statement saying: “The fact of the matter is that each party to this alleged affair denied its existence in 2006, 20011 [sic], 2016, 2017 and now again in 2018. I am not denying this affair because I was paid ‘hush money’ as it has been reported in overseas owned tabloids. I am denying this affair because it never happened.”
McCarthy surprisingly reported a small sliver of the full story: “Daniels has said the statements were lies and indicated that she signed because she was worried about legal repercussions, The Washington Post reported.” Still, he insisting on touting how “Following her testimony Tuesday, Daniels was slammed on social media,” citing random people in the internet criticizing Daniels. McCarthy quoted nobody defending Daniels or telling the full story about her statement.
Newsmax published a wire article about Daniels’ testimony during the trial, then devoted a pair of articles featuring one of its favorite pro-Trump talking heads attacking Daniels:
- Matthew Whitaker to Newsmax:’Disgusting Day’ for Justice in the US
- Matthew Whitaker to Newsmax: Stormy Daniels Testimony ‘Manifest Injustice’
Of course, the easiest way to avoid all this “disgusting” stuff being made public is for Trump not to have an affair with a porn star, but Whitaker appears not to have considered that possibility.