‘Vote for Me – I Collected $121,000 from a Porn Star’: Brit Hume Notes Judge’s Ruling Doesn’t Exactly Help Trump’s Campaign

 

On Tuesday, the Ninth Circuit ruled that Stormy Daniels – real name, Stephanie Clifford – must pay former President Donald Trump nearly $122,000 toward his legal bills.

Trump and Daniels have been wrangling over fees ever since Daniels’ former attorney and now-federal inmate Michael Avenatti filed an ill-fated defamation suit against Trump on her behalf. Both Trump and Daniels have received favorable rulings, but Daniels owes Trump far more than he owes her.

Tuesday’s ruling was galaxies away from the biggest Trump-related legal news of the day, as the former president was arraigned in Manhattan on 34 counts of falsifying business records. The counts originate from three hush money payments made to a doorman and two women with whom Trump had affairs. He pleaded not guilty to all counts.

Trump is the first former or current U.S. president ever to be indicted.

The former president paid Daniels $130,000 for her silence in 2016, via his then-attorney Michael Cohen just a month before the presidential election. Trump reimbursed Cohen, who later pleaded guilty to federal campaign finance violations and tax evasion stemming from the payment.

Martha MacCallum flagged the news on Tuesday’s installment of The Story.

“We’re getting some messages from people in the Trump circle,” she said, citing Eric Trump, who tweeted about the Daniels decision:

BREAKING!!! the 9th Circuit just awarded Trump $121,962.56 in attorney fees from Stormy Daniels. Order just released. This in addition to the roughly $500k she already owes him.

MacCallum said the ruling had “interesting” timing before asking Fox News Chief Political Analyst Brit Hume for his reaction.

“It’s not the stuff of a political slogan,” Hume quipped before making a mock campaign pitch. “‘Vote for me – I collected $121,000 from a porn star that I had an encounter with.’ Oh, good.”

His remarks elicited chuckles from his fellow panelists, which included former Attorney General Bill Barr.

“That was expected,” Barr stated. “I mean, he’s entitled to those fees. The timing, I have to say, is very curious.”

Watch above via Fox News.

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Mike is a Mediaite senior editor who covers the news in primetime.