President Donald Trump claimed his story regarding his knowledge of payments his personal lawyer made to pornstar Stormy Daniels has not changed in recent days during a gaggle before he boarded Air Force One.
“I didn’t change any story,” he claimed, adding “You take a look at what I said. You go back and take a look and see what I said. Excuse me, excuse me. Take a look at what we said.” Trump originally told reporters aboard Air Force One in early April that he had absolutely no knowledge of the payments.
Trump’s newly appointed personal attorney Rudy Guiliani told Fox News Wednesday that the president reimbursed his personal attorney Michael Cohen for a 130,000 silence payment to Daniels. “Michael knew when he laid out the $135,000 he’d get it back and the president was always going to make sure he got it back — and enough money to pay the taxes,” Guiliani told The Washington Post late Wednesday.
Trump later noted on Twitter:
Mr. Cohen, an attorney, received a monthly retainer, not from the campaign and having nothing to do with the campaign, from which he entered into, through reimbursement, a private contract between two parties, known as a non-disclosure agreement, or NDA. These agreements are…..
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 3, 2018
…very common among celebrities and people of wealth. In this case it is in full force and effect and will be used in Arbitration for damages against Ms. Clifford (Daniels). The agreement was used to stop the false and extortionist accusations made by her about an affair,……
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 3, 2018
…despite already having signed a detailed letter admitting that there was no affair. Prior to its violation by Ms. Clifford and her attorney, this was a private agreement. Money from the campaign, or campaign contributions, played no roll in this transaction.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 3, 2018