Trump Tweet Adds To President's Legal Battle With Porn Star

LOS ANGELES, CA — President Donald Trump's famous Twitter habit landed him in hot water Monday when adult-film actress Stormy Daniels sued him for defamation.

Though the president and the porn star are already suing one another, Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, added the defamation claim to her suit Monday in response to a recent tweet by the president. On April 17, Trump accused her of conning the media when she released a sketch of a thug she said threatened her to stay quiet about an alleged affair she had with Trump shortly after his son was born. Daniels claims she was approached by a man in 2011, weeks after she had agreed to cooperate with In Touch magazine on a story about the affair she claims she had with Trump beginning in 2006.

She says the man told her to "leave Trump alone, forget the story." The man then looked at Daniels' young daughter and said, "That's a beautiful little girl. It'd be a shame if something happened to her mom," Daniels claims.

Daniels, who filed her latest suit in federal court in New York, claims Trump defamed her through a post on his Twitter page that belittled her allegation that a man threatened her in Las Vegas in 2011, telling her not to go public with her claim of a Trump affair.

"A sketch years later about a nonexistent man. A total con job, playing the Fake News Media for Fools (but they know it)!" Trump tweeted.

A sketch years later about a nonexistent man. A total con job, playing the Fake News Media for Fools (but they know it)! https://t.co/9Is7mHBFda
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April" class="redactor-linkify-object">https://twitter.com/realDonald... 18, 2018

Along with his message, he retweeted a photo posted by a supporter showing Daniels with an ex-boyfriend, who bears a strong resemblance to the sketch Daniels and her attorney released Tuesday.

The latest defamation claim was almost inevitable. Within moments of the president's tweet, Daniels' fiery lawyer Michael Avenatti tweeted back:

"In my experience, there is nothing better in litigation than having a completely unhinged, undisciplined opponent who is prone to shooting himself in the foot," tweeted her attorney Michael Avenatti. "Always leads to BIGLY problems, like new claims, i.e. defamation. LOL."

The allegation is similar to one already included in the Los Angeles lawsuit against Trump's personal attorney, Michael Cohen, alleging defamation for accusing Daniels of lying about the supposed threat.

Daniels' latest lawsuit contends the statement on Twitter "falsely attacks the veracity of Ms. Clifford's account of the threatening incident that took place in 2011. It also operates to accuse Ms. Clifford of committing a crime under New York law, as well as the law of numerous other states, in that it effectively states that Ms. Clifford falsely accused an individual of committing a crime against her when no such crime occurred.

"Mr. Trump's statement is false and defamatory," according to the lawsuit. "In making the statement, Mr. Trump used his national and international audience of millions of people to make a false factual statement to denigrate and attack Ms. Clifford."

On Friday, a federal judge in Los Angeles put Daniels' lawsuit against Trump and Cohen on hold for 90 days, due to a pending criminal investigation of Cohen in New York. That lawsuit seeks to invalidate a 2016 non- disclosure agreement Daniels signed over the alleged Trump affair. She contends the agreement is invalid because Trump never personally signed it.

Avenatti has said he will file an appeal challenging the delay.

Cohen has admitted paying Daniels $130,000 of his own money as part of the non-disclosure pact.

City News Service contributed to this report.Photos: NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 16: (L to R) Adult film actress Stormy Daniels (Stephanie Clifford) and Michael Avenatti, attorney for Stormy Daniels, speak to the media as they exit the United States District Court Southern District of New York for a hearing related to Michael Cohen, President Trump's longtime personal attorney and confidante, April 16, 2018 in New York City. Cohen and lawyers representing President Trump are asking the court to block Justice Department officials from reading documents and materials related to Cohen's relationship with President Trump that they believe should be protected by attorney-client privilege. Officials with the FBI, armed with a search warrant, raided Cohen's office and two private residences last week. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

President Donald Trump (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)