GOP senator: Trump made an illegal hush payment to a porn star out of love for his family

Sen. Mike Rounds, R-SD., offered CNN an extremely sympathetic take on why Trump made the hush payments.

Published March 7, 2019 4:59AM (EST)

Donald Trump; Stormy Daniels (AP/Evan Vucci/Getty/Ethan Miller)
Donald Trump; Stormy Daniels (AP/Evan Vucci/Getty/Ethan Miller)

This article originally appeared on AlterNet.
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One of President Donald Trump’s biggest legal liabilities continues to be the hush payments his former attorney Michael Cohen made on his behalf to porn star Stormy Daniels and Playboy Playmate Karen MacDougal. Cohen has testified that Trump directed him to make those payments, and to lie about them.

But on Wednesday’s edition of CNN’s “New Day,” Sen. Mike Rounds, R-SD., offered John Berman an extremely sympathetic take on why Trump did all of this.

“This is a jarring juxtaposition, the president accused of writing payoffs to porn stars at the same time he’s conducting presidential business,” Berman said. “As you look at this, are you okay with all of this?”

“Most of us have a concern anytime you have a president who is trying to work through some very personal matters,” said Rounds. “I honestly think this president loves his family. I think it has as much to do with trying not to have public discussions about something that is, for him, a private matter that he didn’t want to have discussed with his family. I think that’s a lot of it.”


By Matthew Chapman

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All Salon Alternet Donald Trump Michael Cohen Mike Rounds News & Politics Stormy Daniels