Adult-film actress Stephanie Clifford, also known as Stormy Daniels, poses for pictures at the end of her striptease show in Gossip Gentleman club in Long Island, New York, U.S., Feb. 23, 2018. (Xinhua/REUTERS)
WASHINGTON, April 5 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday that he did not know about the 130,000-U.S.-dollar hush money payment that his lawyer made to an adult film actress.
"No," he replied when asked aboard Air Force One whether he knew about the payment his personal lawyer Michael Cohen made to Stormy Daniels to secure her silence over their alleged affair.
"You'll have to ask Michael," Trump said.
U.S. President Donald Trump (L) and first lady Melania Trump depart the White House in Washington D.C., the United States, on March 19, 2018. (Xinhua/Ting Shen)
This was his first public response to his alleged affair with Daniels, whose legal name is Stephanie Clifford. She has claimed having "consensual" sex with Trump in July 2006.
The White House has said that Trump denies there was a relationship.
Daniels received a 130,000-dollar payment weeks before the 2016 presidential election and signed a non-disclosure agreement (NDA). Trump did not sign it himself.
Cohen, who signed the agreement, said he paid the hush money out of his own pocket and was not reimbursed.
Daniels was trying to have the agreement voided, while Trump and Cohen were seeking to have the case heard by an arbitrator instead of a jury.
Daniels's attorney Michael Avenatti said Thursday that Trump's statement could create legal problems.
"If the president didn't know anything about the payment, then he obviously didn't know anything about the agreement, in which case you can't have an an agreement," Avenatti told MSNBC. "And then there is no such thing as an NDA."
