Judge denies Trump attorney's motion for mistrial over Stormy Daniels testimony

Judge Juan Merchan denied Former President Donald Trump's attorney's request for a mistrial over the testimony of prosecution witness Stormy Daniels in Trump's criminal hush money trial. 

"As a threshold matter, I agree Mr. Blanche, that there were some things that probably would've been better left unsaid." Judge Merchan said, according to CNN. 

"Having said that, I don’t believe we’re at a point where a mistrial is warranted," he said.

In the closing weeks of Trump’s 2016 Republican presidential campaign, his then-lawyer and personal fixer, Michael Cohen, paid Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, $130,000 to keep quiet about what she says was a sexual encounter with Trump in July 2006, according to the Associated Press. 

Trump's attorney, Todd Blanche, argued that the court set "guardrails" and Daniels' testimony went over them.

"A lot of the testimony that this witness talked about today is way different than the story she was peddling in 2016," he said. 

Daniels testified there was a power imbalance during her and Trump's encounter, considering how wealthy and influential he was. 

"There was an imbalance of power for sure," she said. "He was bigger and blocking the way. [But] I was not threatened verbally or physically," she said.

Daniels' testimony began with the prosecution asking her about her start in the porn film industry.