Democracy Dies in Darkness
The Trump Cases

Trump’s N.Y. trial is not televised, but TV played a starring role

Like former president, adult-film actress Stormy Daniels and disgraced lawyer Michael Cohen aspired to television fame.

By
May 27, 2024 at 9:00 a.m. EDT
Former President Donald Trump throws a pen to supporters during a campaign rally at Crotona Park in the on Thursday. (Jeenah Moon for The Washington Post)
6 min

The key players at Donald Trump’s criminal trial have told a saga of shifting alliances, secret agendas and petty grievances. Throughout it all, they shared one thing in common: the strong desire to be on television.

For adult-film actress Stormy Daniels, former Playboy model Karen McDougal and disgraced lawyer Michael Cohen, the lure of being on television, particularly reality television, play a significant role in their decision-making when dealing with Trump, whose successful 2016 presidential bid was fueled in large part by his own reality TV stardom.