From adult film actress to political thorn: how Stormy Daniels might have become the final blow for Team Trump

Donald Trump has been indicted; the former President of the United States will stand trial in a United States court next week where he is expected to put in his plea. Social media, naturally, has become polarised once again, with those who support Trump calling foul of a conspiracy against “their guy,” while warning those on the left that it sets a precedent for other presidents to have investigations opened up on them. While the “left” are happy to see accountability and welcome the news that no US president was “above the law.”

But what has finally caused the former leader of the party for “law and order” to finally be set to appear in front of a judge and a jury that isn’t merely the court of public opinion? Could it be the January 6th riots when outraged supporters believed Trump was being robbed of the presidential election? Could it be perhaps the numerous documents found during an FBI raid of his Florida residence, Mar-a-Lago?

It’s neither; instead, Trump’s day in court stems from “hush-hush” payments to someone to keep them from revealing everything through an “entanglement”. Had it been done nice and cleanly, it wouldn’t have been the cause celebre it has become - but Trump allegedly recorded it as a business expense and falsifying business records is illegal in New York. Of all the powerful people in the land that have tried to hold Trump accountable for his behaviour, it was a porn star that ultimately did what many lawyers couldn’t

With it, adult actress Stormy Daniels has, whether she wanted to or not, become an unlikely figure in political theatre. The “left” are championing her for finally being the straw that broke the legal camel’s back, and with this domino now falling it leads to more litigation that could take place against Trump. The right, of course, once again are citing the unfair treatment of “their guy,” once more bringing up George Soros as a point of contention - and those in the middle are wondering when all this cultural warfare will just end. Not for a while it seems.

But Stormy, real name Stephanie Gregory Clifford, isn’t new to politics at all - in fact, would you believe at one stage that she was running as a republican in a senate race in 2010? Or that due to her line of work, one that has seen her slut shamed continually by detractors, she has been a big advocate for sex worker rights? Or how about the perception that she was a “political prisoner” in 2018?

Perhaps referring to Stormy Daniels as a “bit on the side” of Donald Trump and to use her profession is to completely write off her principles isn’t very fair to Daniels - given the magnitude of her case and how that is set to affect the hotly contested presidential primaries ahead of the 2024 US Presidential election.

Daniel’s first run in political theatre - 2009/2010

In 2009, a group of fans launched a website called DraftStormy.com to encourage her to run against Republican Senator David Vitter in Louisiana. This was inspired by Vitter's connections to a prostitution ring, and Daniels formed an exploratory committee in May 2009. However, her campaign was hit by a setback when her campaign manager's car was blown up in August 2009 - no one was hurt. 

Despite this, Daniels announced in April 2010 that she would run for the Republican nomination, citing the Republican National Committee's payment of expenses for fundraisers at a "lesbian bondage themed nightclub" as a tipping point in her decision-making process.

Daniels focused her campaign on the economy, women in business, and child protection, and stated that she would likely retire from the adult industry if elected. However, on April 15, 2010, she announced that she would not run, citing the unaffordable cost and the media's lack of seriousness towards her candidacy - eerily echoing the media’s lack of seriousness about her allegations towards Trump six years later.

Daniels' foray into politics was short-lived, but it generated significant media attention and controversy. Her decision to run as a Republican despite being a registered Democrat and a former adult film actress was seen as unconventional and polarising.

Political prisoner? - 2018

Daniels was arrested in Columbus, Ohio on July 12, 2018, by undercover vice cops in a sting operation, being accused of being “over amorous” with patrons and police officers in violation of Ohio strip club law. While Daniels was booked into the county jail, two other female adult entertainers who were arrested for the same alleged violations were given summonses to appear in court, but unlike Daniels, did not have their mugshots taken. 

Daniels' personal attorney, Michael Avenatti, vowed to sue the local police on the grounds that the arrest was politically motivated. It was later revealed that the lead detective on the vice squad in charge of the arrest was a supporter of Donald Trump. Emails belonging to another vice squad detective who made the arrest reportedly showed that days before Daniels arrived in Columbus, the detective had already obtained pictures/videos of Daniels and the location of her planned performance.

A day after the arrest, the Columbus police chief declared that "a mistake was made" during the arrest, as "one element of the law was missed in error." In January 2019, Daniels filed a lawsuit in federal court against the City of Columbus, alleging that police were politically motivated when they arrested her and seeking $2 million in damages. In March 2019, an internal police investigation found that Daniels' arrest by the four undercover officers was improper, but not premeditated or political in nature.

That led to the announcement in August 2019 by Columbus Division of Police interim chief Tom Quinlan that five Columbus police officers faced departmental punishment for their roles in the arrest for violating rules of conduct. In September 2019, the parties agreed to settle the federal lawsuit, with Daniels receiving $450,000 in compensation.

Advocacy work - 2019 - present

In 2009, she founded the "Stormy Daniels Legal Defense Fund," which aimed to help individuals in the adult entertainment industry who were facing legal troubles. She has also been vocal about issues related to sex workers' rights, including advocating for the decriminalisation of prostitution. In 2018, she spoke out against a controversial bill in Louisiana that would have increased penalties for soliciting prostitutes.

In addition, Daniels has been an advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and has been a regular participant in pride events. She has also spoken out against cyberbullying and harassment, particularly in the context of online harassment of sex workers.

Whether she wants to admit it or not, Stormy Daniels’ has unintentionally found herself as an ally to the left-side of the political spectrum. Thankfully for her, she’s also found herself gaining allies from that side of the political spectrum, including those within the halls of political theatre in the United States.