Trump shifts story on Stormy Daniels' hush money

(Image credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

President Trump acknowledged Thursday morning that his personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, paid $130,000 to adult film star Stormy Daniels in exchange for her silence about an affair she says she had with Trump in 2006. "These agreements are very common among celebrities and people of wealth," he said.

Trump had denied knowing about the payment to Daniels when questioned by reporters on Air Force One last month, and his comments Thursday do not clarify when he learned of the payment:

Trump's tweets followed Rudy Giuliani's interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity on Wednesday night. Giuliani, who recently joined Trump's legal team, confirmed on the show that Trump reimbursed Cohen for the $130,000. He said it didn't amount to an illegal campaign contribution because Trump used personal funds, not campaign money, which Trump reiterated Thursday in his tweets.

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.