Donald Trump took to his spokesperson’s Twitter on Wednesday to release a statement that once again gloated over the money Stormy Daniels owes the former president since losing her defamation lawsuit, while finding space to add an extra dig about how he wasn’t attracted to the adult film star.
“Today, the 9th Circuit issued yet another attorney fees ruling in my favor against Stephanie Clifford (AKA “Stormy Daniels”) – this time, awarding me $245,209.67 for my fees incurred in her 9th Circuit appeal of her failed lawsuit against me,” the former president began in his statement.
Ms Daniels, who already missed a crucial 30-day deadline to appeal a lower court’s decision on paying Mr Trump’s legal fees, had previously been told that she owed the former president nearly $300,000.
With the added $245,209.67 that the 9th Circuit issued ruling in Mr Trump’s favour, which he references in his Wednesday statement, that would bring Ms Daniels’ total amount owed to “$538,262”, he said.
“This entire case has been nothing but a disaster for Ms Clifford and her lawyer Michael Avenatti, from the start – a total waste of court time and resources,” Mr Trump continued in his statement.
“Ending up with her owing me a large and growing amount in attorney fees that never needed to have been spent, especially since as I have stated many times, I never had an affair with her – nor would I have ever wanted to (even in her wildest imagination!).”
Ms Daniels had claimed that she had sex with the former president in 2006 and that he later tried to silence her with hush money when he was running his presidential campaign in 2016.
For his part, Mr Trump has continued to vehemently deny the affair ever took place, in many recent interactions using his lack of interest in Ms Daniels as evidence that such an encounter never taking place.
“As I have stated many times throughout the years, I never had an affair with Stormy Daniels, nor would I ever have wanted to,” the former president said in a statement released earlier this month.
Ms Daniels has also gone on the offensive. In response to the Court’s earlier ruling this March, she went on Twitter to declare that she would never pay Mr Trump’s legal bills.
“I will go to jail before I pay a penny,” she vowed.
