Stormy Daniels postpones Piers Morgan interview as Trump set for arrest

Stormy Daniels has postponed her interview with Piers Morgan, the broadcaster has said.

The adult film actress, who alleges she had an extramarital sexual encounter with former US president Donald Trump, was due to appear on TalkTV’s Piers Morgan Uncensored in an exclusive video interview on Friday.

He later Tweeted that she had withdrawn.

Former Good Morning Britain presenter Morgan wrote: “UPDATE: Unfortunately, Stormy Daniels has had to suddenly postpone our interview tonight due to some security issues that have arisen. Hope she’s OK.”

Mr Trump denies having sex with Ms Daniels at a celebrity golf outing in Lake Tahoe in 2006.

He has acknowledged reimbursing his lawyer for a 130,000 US dollar (£105,442) payment made to Ms Daniels.

On Thursday, a grand jury decided to indict – meaning charge with a crime – Mr Trump after hearing evidence about six-figure payments made to Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, before he was elected in 2016.

Ms Daniels told The Times on Friday that she is “not afraid” and “hopes” she is called on to testify at Mr Trump’s trial.

Ms Daniels, who has appeared in films like Superbad and The 40-Year-Old Virgin, added: “I have nothing to hide, and I look forward to telling everybody what I know.”

The office of Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg said it has contacted Mr Trump’s lawyer to co-ordinate a surrender, according to the Associated Press (AP) news agency, and he is set for an arraignment – the first step in a US trial – on Tuesday.

The AP news agency understands Mr Trump will be fingerprinted, a mug shot will be taken and investigators will complete arrest paperwork.

The indictment itself has remained sealed, as is standard in New York before an arraignment.

Denying any wrongdoing, Mr Trump denounced the investigation as a “scam” and says it is specifically designed to damage his 2024 presidential run.

Former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen was reimbursed for payments as legal expenses, and federal prosecutors argued, in a 2018 criminal case, that the payments equated to illegal aid to Mr Trump’s campaign.

Mr Cohen pleaded guilty to campaign finance violation charges.

Former Playboy model Karen McDougal also claims to have had sexual encounters with Mr Trump before he went into politics, which he denies.

Ms McDougal was paid 150,000 dollars (£121,585) for rights to her story and the National Enquirer sat on it in an arrangement brokered Mr Cohen, according to the then publisher of the supermarket tabloid.

American Media Inc acknowledged in 2018 that its payments to Ms McDougal were made specifically to assist Mr Trump’s election bid and were made “in concert” with his campaign.