'Trumpworld' Meets 'Slutworld'
In Trumpworld, a man (even an old roaster) who pays a woman for sex is a good old boy who deserves a 'pat on the back', metaphorically speaking, and the sniggering admiration of his fans, even if his wife is pregnant or has just given birth.
Whereas a woman who sells sex to such a man is to be shamed and regarded as a 'slut' according to Donald Trump's increasingly unhinged lawyer, Rudi Giuliani who said of the adult film actress Stormy Daniels, the other day:
"I respect all human beings. I even have to respect criminals. But I'm sorry, I don't respect a porn star the way I respect a career women or a women of substance or a woman who has great respect for herself as a women and as a person and isn't going to sell her body for sexual exploitation."
Sounds like a load of old bollix and a perfect example of 'mansplaining' if you ask me.
God's Gift To Women (06/06/18)
Rudy and the Beast!
Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani has left himself and Donald Trump open to ridicule with his revelation on Fox News that the President knew all along about the $130,000 'hush money' payment to the adult film actress, Stormy Daniels.
Never one to look a gift horse in the mouth, comedian Randy Rainbow has penned a personal tribute to this political odd couple to which he has given the title 'Rudy and the Beast'
"A Storm's A Comin Baby" (07/05/18)
Great fun at Saturday Night Live as Ben Stiller (playing Donald Trump's lawyer Michael Cohen (pleads - "Guys can we all just pick one lie and stick with it?"
Total Con Job ((04/05/18)
Donald Trump has labelled claims by Stormy Daniels as a 'total con job', but Trump's lawyer paid the adult film actress a whopping $130,000 in an effort to buy her silence.
Having initially denied all knowledge of this 'hush money' payment Team Trump has been forced to admit that he knew about it all along and agreed to his lawyer being reimbursed.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-43985260
Stormy Daniels case: Trump repaid lawyer 'hush money', says Giuliani
Image copyright REUTERS Image caption - Mr Trump has previously said he knew nothing of the payment to Ms Daniels
President Donald Trump personally repaid his lawyer the $130,000 that was used to buy an adult film actor's silence about an alleged affair, his legal aide Rudy Giuliani has said.
It appears to contradict Mr Trump, who said he did not know about the payment made by lawyer Michael Cohen to Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election.
Mr Trump has denied Ms Daniels' claims of an affair in 2006.
Mr Giuliani said no campaign finance was used, a key issue in the matter.
President Donald Trump personally repaid his lawyer the $130,000 that was used to buy an adult film actor's silence about an alleged affair, his legal aide Rudy Giuliani has said.
It appears to contradict Mr Trump, who said he did not know about the payment made by lawyer Michael Cohen to Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election.
Mr Trump has denied Ms Daniels' claims of an affair in 2006.
Mr Giuliani said no campaign finance was used, a key issue in the matter.
Should Trump be worried about Stormy Daniels?
The president and the porn star: Why this matters
What are non-disclosure agreements?
The president and the porn star: Why this matters
What are non-disclosure agreements?
What did Mr Giuliani say and why?
The former New York City mayor recently joined Mr Trump's legal team and was talking to Sean Hannity on Fox News.
The campaign finance issue appeared to be one his main motives for appearing on the programme - to deny that there was any wrongdoing.
Rudy Giuliani: #Trump repaid Cohen for Stormy Daniels payment fxn.ws/2Ks5j7L
Mr Cohen's $130,000 (£95,650) payment to Ms Daniels just before the 2016 election could count as an illegal contribution to President Trump's campaign.
Mr Giuliani said: "That money was not campaign money. Sorry, I'm giving you a fact now that you don't know. It's not campaign money. No campaign finance violation.
"They funnelled it through a law firm and the president repaid it."
He added that the president "didn't know about the specifics of it, as far as I know, but he did know about the general arrangement that Michael would take care of things like this".
Mr Giuliani later spoke to the New York Times, saying: "Some time after the campaign is over, they set up a reimbursement, $35,000 a month, out of his personal family account." The sum paid was $460,000-$470,000, including expenses, he said.
He also said Mr Trump was aware of what he was going to say on Fox News and that he had spoken to the president before and after the interview.
What are the issues over campaign finance?
US federal law restricts how much individuals and organisations can contribute to campaign financing and there are also strict regulations on the disclosure of the financing.
The first question is whether the payment to Ms Daniels was campaign related. Legal expert Lawrence Noble told the Washington Post: "If the purpose of this was to stop [Daniels] from hurting the campaign, then what you have is Cohen made a loan to the campaign."
The $130,000 would exceed the amount an individual can donate to a presidential campaign.Image copyrightAFPImage captionMichael Cohen is facing a criminal investigation over the matter
Michael Cohen is facing a criminal investigation over the matter
Any repayment by the Trump campaign would violate the law.
But presidential candidates are allowed to contribute an unlimited amount to their own campaign. Mr Trump may be arguing, through Mr Giuliani, that the personal nature of the repayment makes it legal.
However, if the $130,000 is deemed to have been a loan, the president could face questions as to why his personal financial disclosure form from June 2017 made no mention of any debt to Mr Cohen.
The repayment would have had to be disclosed to the Federal Election Commission if it were an election-related expense. A wilful violation could be a crime.
Ms Daniels' lawyer said it would need to be determined whether the payment was hidden in such a way as to violate anti-money laundering statutes.
But presidential candidates are allowed to contribute an unlimited amount to their own campaign. Mr Trump may be arguing, through Mr Giuliani, that the personal nature of the repayment makes it legal.
However, if the $130,000 is deemed to have been a loan, the president could face questions as to why his personal financial disclosure form from June 2017 made no mention of any debt to Mr Cohen.
The repayment would have had to be disclosed to the Federal Election Commission if it were an election-related expense. A wilful violation could be a crime.
Ms Daniels' lawyer said it would need to be determined whether the payment was hidden in such a way as to violate anti-money laundering statutes.
So does this contradict the president?
When asked by reporters a month ago if he knew about the payment to Ms Daniels, Mr Trump said: "No."
When asked why the payment was given to Ms Daniels, he added: "You'll have to ask Michael Cohen."
The president might argue that the lawyer "took care of things like this", as Mr Giuliani suggested and that he knew nothing of the "specifics", making the repayment personally later.
Mr Giuliani told the Times he did not know whether Mr Trump was aware of the payment to Ms Daniels at the time but his understanding was that the president had only learned about it recently. It is unclear how this fits with his statement that repayments were made over several months.
Speaking on Fox TV last week, Mr Trump suggested some knowledge of the matter in admitting Mr Cohen had represented him during the "crazy Stormy Daniels deal", but did not go into specifics.
Mr Cohen, for his part, told the New York Times in February: "Neither the Trump Organization nor the Trump campaign was a party to the transaction with Ms Clifford, and neither reimbursed me for the payment, either directly or indirectly."
How this relates to any personal repayments by Mr Trump is unclear.
What has been the reaction?
Ms Daniels' lawyer, Michael Avenatti, said that Americans "should be outraged" at Mr Giuliani's comments.
"We predicted months ago that it would be proven that the American people had been lied to as to the $130k payment and what Mr Trump knew," he wrote on Twitter.
He told Associated Press: "Mr Trump evidently has participated in a felony and there must be serious consequences for his conduct and his lies and deception to the American people.
Stormy clouds not going away
Analysis by BBC's Anthony Zurcher in Washington
There are two ways to look at Rudy Giuliani's blockbuster revelation.
The first is that the former New York mayor was freelancing and caught the president and the White House communications team flatfooted. In that case, Mr Giuliani's brief return to the political spotlight will be short-lived.
The other possibility is that this was a pre-planned revelation in the friendly confines of Sean Hannity's Fox News talk show. Some in the White House may have been caught by surprise, but there was a strategy in play. Perhaps Mr Giuliani and the president decided that the legal exposure from hiding that Mr Trump made the payment was more dangerous than the political risk from admitting he cut the cheque and lied about it.
Mr Trump has proven bulletproof when it comes to most political scandals and this one may prove no different, although the Stormy saga has proven to have staying power. Even with the revelation, the president and Mr Cohen's payment may still constitute a campaign finance law violation.
The Stormy clouds aren't going away.
Analysis by BBC's Anthony Zurcher in Washington
There are two ways to look at Rudy Giuliani's blockbuster revelation.
The first is that the former New York mayor was freelancing and caught the president and the White House communications team flatfooted. In that case, Mr Giuliani's brief return to the political spotlight will be short-lived.
The other possibility is that this was a pre-planned revelation in the friendly confines of Sean Hannity's Fox News talk show. Some in the White House may have been caught by surprise, but there was a strategy in play. Perhaps Mr Giuliani and the president decided that the legal exposure from hiding that Mr Trump made the payment was more dangerous than the political risk from admitting he cut the cheque and lied about it.
Mr Trump has proven bulletproof when it comes to most political scandals and this one may prove no different, although the Stormy saga has proven to have staying power. Even with the revelation, the president and Mr Cohen's payment may still constitute a campaign finance law violation.
The Stormy clouds aren't going away.
How did the payment come about and what has happened since?
The payment relates to allegations by Ms Daniels that she had sex with Mr Trump in 2006, allegations he denies.
After initially denying the payment, Mr Cohen eventually admitted he had paid the sum privately to Ms Daniels, real name Stephanie Clifford, in October 2016 out of his own funds in exchange for her silence in a non-disclosure agreement.
Media caption - Stormy Daniels: "I was threatened"
He denied that Mr Trump was a party to the transaction.
Mr Cohen is now facing a criminal investigation. FBI agents searched his home and office in New York recently in relation to the nondisclosure agreement.
In March this year, Ms Daniels filed a lawsuit against the president, alleging that the agreement was invalid because Mr Trump did not sign it.
She later lost a court motion for Mr Trump to give sworn testimony about her claim that they had a relationship.
While Mr Trump has denied her claims, his lawyers are seeking $20m in damages from Ms Daniels, arguing she broke the non-disclosure deal.
Ms Daniels is also suing the president over a "defamatory" tweet he posted after she said she was threatened by a man in a Las Vegas car park to drop her allegations of the affair.
Mr Trump said her claims were "a total con job".
In a major embarrassment for President Trump his personal lawyer (Michael Cohen) has decided to plead the Fifth Amendment over his involvement in a 'hush money' deal or non-disclosure agreement involving the adult film actress Stormy Daniels.
Donald Trump has had lots to say about people 'taking the Fifth' in the past and has often trotted out the hackneyed phrase - if you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear.
So what what does Michael Cohen have to fear about explaining the reasons behind him paying $130,000 to a woman who claims to have had an affair with Trump shortly after the birth of his son Bannon?
Read the report below via a link to CNN.
https://edition.cnn.com/2018/04/25/politics/michael-cohen-fifth-amendment/index.html
Michael Cohen asserts Fifth Amendment rights in Stormy Daniels case
The BBC reports that the Fox News propagandist Sean Hannity has been exposed as having the same lawyer as Donald Trump after vigorously denying this was true.
Michael Cohen's offices were raided by the FBI recently after the lawyer admitted paying $130,000 in 'hush money' to the adult film actress Stormy Daniels.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-43791164
Sean Hannity unmasked as Trump lawyer's mystery client
The payment relates to allegations by Ms Daniels that she had sex with Mr Trump in 2006, allegations he denies.
After initially denying the payment, Mr Cohen eventually admitted he had paid the sum privately to Ms Daniels, real name Stephanie Clifford, in October 2016 out of his own funds in exchange for her silence in a non-disclosure agreement.
Media caption - Stormy Daniels: "I was threatened"
He denied that Mr Trump was a party to the transaction.
Mr Cohen is now facing a criminal investigation. FBI agents searched his home and office in New York recently in relation to the nondisclosure agreement.
In March this year, Ms Daniels filed a lawsuit against the president, alleging that the agreement was invalid because Mr Trump did not sign it.
She later lost a court motion for Mr Trump to give sworn testimony about her claim that they had a relationship.
While Mr Trump has denied her claims, his lawyers are seeking $20m in damages from Ms Daniels, arguing she broke the non-disclosure deal.
Ms Daniels is also suing the president over a "defamatory" tweet he posted after she said she was threatened by a man in a Las Vegas car park to drop her allegations of the affair.
Mr Trump said her claims were "a total con job".
Famous Last Words (26/04/18)
In a major embarrassment for President Trump his personal lawyer (Michael Cohen) has decided to plead the Fifth Amendment over his involvement in a 'hush money' deal or non-disclosure agreement involving the adult film actress Stormy Daniels.
Donald Trump has had lots to say about people 'taking the Fifth' in the past and has often trotted out the hackneyed phrase - if you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear.
So what what does Michael Cohen have to fear about explaining the reasons behind him paying $130,000 to a woman who claims to have had an affair with Trump shortly after the birth of his son Bannon?
Read the report below via a link to CNN.
https://edition.cnn.com/2018/04/25/politics/michael-cohen-fifth-amendment/index.html
Michael Cohen asserts Fifth Amendment rights in Stormy Daniels case
By Scott Glover - CNN
Michael Cohen, the longtime personal attorney for President Donald Trump, filed court papers Wednesday indicating he would assert his Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination regarding his involvement in a hush money deal involving porn star Stormy Daniels and the President.
Cohen cited FBI raids of his residence, office and hotel room and the seizure of "various electronic devices and documents in my possession," in his filing in US District Court in Los Angeles.
"Based upon the advice of counsel, I will assert my Fifth Amendment rights in connection with all proceedings in this case due to the ongoing criminal investigation by the FBI and US Attorney for the Southern District of New York," Cohen said.
Cohen filed the declaration as part of an effort to have a civil lawsuit filed by Daniels put on hold. The judge in that case said last week that he needed to hear from Cohen directly before deciding on that request.
Michael Avenatti, Daniels' attorney, called Cohen's declaration "a stunning development."
"Never before in our nation's history has the attorney for the sitting President invoked the 5th Amend in connection with issues surrounding the President," Avenatti tweeted. "It is esp. stunning seeing as MC served as the 'fixer' for Mr. Trump for over 10 yrs. #basta."
Avenatti told CNN that Cohen invoking the Fifth Amendment only strengthens their case against him.
"The fact finder -- whether it be a jury or a judge -- can find what is called a negative inference and what that means is that you can presume that if the witness answered the question instead of invoking his Fifth Amendment right that the answer would incriminate him that it would not be positive for him or her and that's a very serious matter," Avenatti said on CNN's "Erin Burnett OutFront."
The judge in the Los Angeles case, S. James Otero, is tasked with determining whether there is a substantial overlap between the FBI raids in New York and the civil case before him in which Daniels is seeking to void an agreement in which Cohen paid her $130,000 to remain silent about an alleged sexual encounter with Trump a decade before his presidency, in 2006. The White House has said Trump denies the affair.
Since Cohen and his lawyers are requesting the stay in the case, Otero said last week that the burden is on them to show a large overlap between the two matters.
The "conundrum," the judge said, is that "the scope and breadth of the criminal investigation remain a mystery.
Otero said in court last week that he was not privy to the affidavit for the New York searches, but that he'd reviewed the docket of proceedings in federal court in that jurisdiction.
He said "common sense" told him the decision to conduct a raid on an attorney for the President of the United States' lawyer signaled "a significant and serious matter."
"You're going to make sure that it's more than just a bare-bones case," Otero added. "It's probably substantially likely that there's some sort of criminal action to follow."
Cohen and his attorney, Brent Blakely, have argued that the Daniels civil case should ultimately be sent to private arbitration.
Michael Cohen, the longtime personal attorney for President Donald Trump, filed court papers Wednesday indicating he would assert his Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination regarding his involvement in a hush money deal involving porn star Stormy Daniels and the President.
Cohen cited FBI raids of his residence, office and hotel room and the seizure of "various electronic devices and documents in my possession," in his filing in US District Court in Los Angeles.
"Based upon the advice of counsel, I will assert my Fifth Amendment rights in connection with all proceedings in this case due to the ongoing criminal investigation by the FBI and US Attorney for the Southern District of New York," Cohen said.
Cohen filed the declaration as part of an effort to have a civil lawsuit filed by Daniels put on hold. The judge in that case said last week that he needed to hear from Cohen directly before deciding on that request.
Michael Avenatti, Daniels' attorney, called Cohen's declaration "a stunning development."
"Never before in our nation's history has the attorney for the sitting President invoked the 5th Amend in connection with issues surrounding the President," Avenatti tweeted. "It is esp. stunning seeing as MC served as the 'fixer' for Mr. Trump for over 10 yrs. #basta."
Avenatti told CNN that Cohen invoking the Fifth Amendment only strengthens their case against him.
"The fact finder -- whether it be a jury or a judge -- can find what is called a negative inference and what that means is that you can presume that if the witness answered the question instead of invoking his Fifth Amendment right that the answer would incriminate him that it would not be positive for him or her and that's a very serious matter," Avenatti said on CNN's "Erin Burnett OutFront."
The judge in the Los Angeles case, S. James Otero, is tasked with determining whether there is a substantial overlap between the FBI raids in New York and the civil case before him in which Daniels is seeking to void an agreement in which Cohen paid her $130,000 to remain silent about an alleged sexual encounter with Trump a decade before his presidency, in 2006. The White House has said Trump denies the affair.
Since Cohen and his lawyers are requesting the stay in the case, Otero said last week that the burden is on them to show a large overlap between the two matters.
The "conundrum," the judge said, is that "the scope and breadth of the criminal investigation remain a mystery.
Otero said in court last week that he was not privy to the affidavit for the New York searches, but that he'd reviewed the docket of proceedings in federal court in that jurisdiction.
He said "common sense" told him the decision to conduct a raid on an attorney for the President of the United States' lawyer signaled "a significant and serious matter."
"You're going to make sure that it's more than just a bare-bones case," Otero added. "It's probably substantially likely that there's some sort of criminal action to follow."
Cohen and his attorney, Brent Blakely, have argued that the Daniels civil case should ultimately be sent to private arbitration.
Trump in Stormy Waters (17/04/18)
The BBC reports that the Fox News propagandist Sean Hannity has been exposed as having the same lawyer as Donald Trump after vigorously denying this was true.
Michael Cohen's offices were raided by the FBI recently after the lawyer admitted paying $130,000 in 'hush money' to the adult film actress Stormy Daniels.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-43791164
Sean Hannity unmasked as Trump lawyer's mystery client
Image copyright - TWITTER/ SEAN HANNITY Image caption - Sean Hannity (left) and Michael Cohen
A Fox News host is the mystery third client of US President Donald Trump's lawyer, a court has heard.
A judge ruled that Michael Cohen, the president's personal attorney, must reveal the link to Sean Hannity.
Monday's hearing in New York City follows an FBI raid this month on the presidential lawyer's home and office, which Mr Hannity has called an anti-Trump "witch hunt".
A vocal Trump advocate, Mr Hannity denied he was a client of Mr Cohen.
The conservative host, who is known for passionately defending Mr Trump on his Fox News show against what he describes as biased attacks by the media, had never previously divulged any legal ties to the president's attorney.
Agents were seeking evidence on various matters in the raid, including a $130,000 (£90,000) payment made to adult film star Stormy Daniels.
A Fox News host is the mystery third client of US President Donald Trump's lawyer, a court has heard.
A judge ruled that Michael Cohen, the president's personal attorney, must reveal the link to Sean Hannity.
Monday's hearing in New York City follows an FBI raid this month on the presidential lawyer's home and office, which Mr Hannity has called an anti-Trump "witch hunt".
A vocal Trump advocate, Mr Hannity denied he was a client of Mr Cohen.
The conservative host, who is known for passionately defending Mr Trump on his Fox News show against what he describes as biased attacks by the media, had never previously divulged any legal ties to the president's attorney.
Agents were seeking evidence on various matters in the raid, including a $130,000 (£90,000) payment made to adult film star Stormy Daniels.
Image copyright - GETTY IMAGES Image caption - Mr Hannity visited the White House shortly after Mr Trump was elected
The judge also denied Mr Cohen's attempts to prevent prosecutors from reviewing the materials seized in the FBI raids.
Mr Trump's attorney says the computers, phones and documents should be protected under attorney-client privilege.
But Judge Kimba Wood ruled his application for a preliminary injunction was premature.
The judge allowed prosecutors to proceed with the cataloguing of evidence seized in raids, while a system is set up to ensure that records protected by attorney-client privilege are not disclosed to investigators.
Mr Hannity issued a statement of denial.
"Michael Cohen has never represented me in any matter," the Fox host said.
"I have occasionally had brief discussions with him about legal questions about which I wanted his input and perspective.
"I assumed those conversations were confidential, but to be absolutely clear they never involved any matter between me and a third party."
In a later post on Twitter, he said the advice "dealt almost exclusively" with real estate.
He maintained it was no "big deal".
After last week's raid on Mr Cohen's offices, Mr Hannity took to the airwaves to denounce the probe as a "declared war against the president of the United States".
The judge also denied Mr Cohen's attempts to prevent prosecutors from reviewing the materials seized in the FBI raids.
Mr Trump's attorney says the computers, phones and documents should be protected under attorney-client privilege.
But Judge Kimba Wood ruled his application for a preliminary injunction was premature.
The judge allowed prosecutors to proceed with the cataloguing of evidence seized in raids, while a system is set up to ensure that records protected by attorney-client privilege are not disclosed to investigators.
Mr Hannity issued a statement of denial.
"Michael Cohen has never represented me in any matter," the Fox host said.
"I have occasionally had brief discussions with him about legal questions about which I wanted his input and perspective.
"I assumed those conversations were confidential, but to be absolutely clear they never involved any matter between me and a third party."
In a later post on Twitter, he said the advice "dealt almost exclusively" with real estate.
He maintained it was no "big deal".
After last week's raid on Mr Cohen's offices, Mr Hannity took to the airwaves to denounce the probe as a "declared war against the president of the United States".
Image copyright - EPA Image caption - Adult-film actress Stormy Daniels spoke to the press outside the federal court
Just before Monday's hearing, Mr Cohen said in a statement that he had only provided advice to three clients in the past year.
One was Mr Trump. Another was a Republican fundraiser who admitted to paying a former Playboy model after she became pregnant during their affair.
The third client, Mr Cohen said, had refused to give him permission to be publicly named.
But Judge Wood made one of the lawyers identify Mr Hannity on Monday.
There were gasps and some laughter in the courtroom after the announcement, and some journalists raced out of the courtroom to report the revelation.
Media caption - Non-disclosure agreements have been in the news a lot - but what exactly are they?
Also in the Manhattan federal court was Ms Daniels, whose appearance triggered a scrum by photographers outside.
Mr Cohen has admitted making a payment to the adult film actress, who claims the money was to keep her quiet about an affair she says she had with Mr Trump in 2006.
Mr Trump's attorney says he made the payment just before the 2016 election, but maintains Mr Trump did not know about it.
He is facing a criminal inquiry, which the president has strongly criticised.
The payoff to Ms Daniels could amount to a campaign finance violation, say legal analysts.
The White House has denied Mr Trump had an extramarital affair.
Here's a great video which sums up everything that's wrong with American politics and Fox News.
Barack Obama was 'monstered' for suggesting talks with unstable nations such as North Korea, but when America's 'buffoon-in-chief' does the same thing his cheerleaders on Fox News rally round, as if on cue, to hail Trump as a major world statesman.
Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha..............
http://money.cnn.com/2017/11/15/media/shepard-smith-fox-news-hillary-clinton-uranium-one/index.html
Shep Smith fact-checks Fox News on Clinton, Uranium One deal
"That statement," Smith said, "is inaccurate in a number of ways."
It may have been jarring to hear for the most loyal Fox News viewers, who for weeks have heard the network's anchors and commentators breathlessly hype the uranium deal as a scandal of Watergate proportions -- and a story that the liberal mainstream media refused to touch.
Tucker Carlson has taken to calling it "the real Russia scandal." On Tuesday night, hours after Smith's debunking, Sean Hannity stood in front of an elaborate chart on the screen as he promised to "untangle the giant web of Clinton scandals and corruption."
"We know laws were broken. We know crimes were committed," Hannity said. "The evidence is overwhelming. It's incontrovertible."
Without naming his colleagues on the opinion side of the network, Smith delivered a powerful rebuttal to those claims on Tuesday. He explained that the deal required approval from an inter-agency committee known as "CFIUS," made up of the heads of the nine cabinet-level departments.
"The nine department heads all approved the sale of Uranium One," Smith said. "It was unanimous, not a Hillary Clinton approval."
"We don't know definitively whether Secretary Clinton participated at all directly," he added.
Clips of Smith's takedown went viral on Tuesday. Matt Gertz, a senior fellow at the anti-Fox watchdog Media Matters, called it a "methodical annihilation of his own network's coverage of the story."
It was the latest instance of Smith endearing himself to Fox critics -- and alienating the network's most diehard viewers.
In July, Hannity even called out Smith for his pointed critique of the current administration.
"I like Shep," Hannity said on his radio show. "But he's so anti-Trump."
Just before Monday's hearing, Mr Cohen said in a statement that he had only provided advice to three clients in the past year.
One was Mr Trump. Another was a Republican fundraiser who admitted to paying a former Playboy model after she became pregnant during their affair.
The third client, Mr Cohen said, had refused to give him permission to be publicly named.
But Judge Wood made one of the lawyers identify Mr Hannity on Monday.
There were gasps and some laughter in the courtroom after the announcement, and some journalists raced out of the courtroom to report the revelation.
Media caption - Non-disclosure agreements have been in the news a lot - but what exactly are they?
Also in the Manhattan federal court was Ms Daniels, whose appearance triggered a scrum by photographers outside.
Mr Cohen has admitted making a payment to the adult film actress, who claims the money was to keep her quiet about an affair she says she had with Mr Trump in 2006.
Mr Trump's attorney says he made the payment just before the 2016 election, but maintains Mr Trump did not know about it.
He is facing a criminal inquiry, which the president has strongly criticised.
The payoff to Ms Daniels could amount to a campaign finance violation, say legal analysts.
The White House has denied Mr Trump had an extramarital affair.
Fake Fox News (18/03/18)
Here's a great video which sums up everything that's wrong with American politics and Fox News.
Barack Obama was 'monstered' for suggesting talks with unstable nations such as North Korea, but when America's 'buffoon-in-chief' does the same thing his cheerleaders on Fox News rally round, as if on cue, to hail Trump as a major world statesman.
Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha..............
Debunking Team Trump (17/11/17)
Twitter rises to the challenge of explaining what Sean Hannity's bizarre 'Clinton conspiracy' flow chart is all about.
And Hillary's gardener's plumber's third cousin twice removed bought stock in Uranium One and contributed $20.00 dollars to the Clinton Foundation therefore allowing her to conspire with Russia to undermine her own election! Gotta Love FAUX!
In another part of the Fox News universe, presenter Shephard Smith pours cold water all over ridiculous Republican conspiracy claims.
CNN Reports
CNN Reports
Shep Smith fact-checks Fox News on Clinton, Uranium One deal
By Tom Kludt @tomkludt - CNN
Watch Fox News host contradict colleagues on Uranium One deal
Fox News anchor Shepard Smith has earned a reputation over the years for ideological apostasy, providing a sharp mid-afternoon break from the conservative perspective that dominates the rest of the network's programming.
But on Tuesday, he may have outdone himself. Over the course of six minutes, Smith provided a thorough fact-check of the latest Clinton-related conspiracy theory to capture the attention of Republican lawmakers, and his colleagues at Fox News.
Smith, the chief news anchor at Fox, spelled out the specific allegation surrounding the sale of a Canadian company called Uranium One: "Nine people involved in the deal made donations to the Clinton Foundation totaling more than $140 million, In exchange, Secretary of State Clinton approved the sale to the Russians, a quid pro quo."
Smith traced the origins of the claim, which has recently been in heavy circulation on Fox, but was first made in the 2015 book "Clinton Cash," written by Breitbart editor-at-large Peter Schweizer.
From there, it became a talking point on the campaign trail for President Trump, who asserted in June 2016 that "Hillary Clinton's State Department approved the transfer of 20% of America's uranium holdings to Russia, while nine investors in the deal funneled $145 million to the Clinton Foundation."
Watch Fox News host contradict colleagues on Uranium One deal
Fox News anchor Shepard Smith has earned a reputation over the years for ideological apostasy, providing a sharp mid-afternoon break from the conservative perspective that dominates the rest of the network's programming.
But on Tuesday, he may have outdone himself. Over the course of six minutes, Smith provided a thorough fact-check of the latest Clinton-related conspiracy theory to capture the attention of Republican lawmakers, and his colleagues at Fox News.
Smith, the chief news anchor at Fox, spelled out the specific allegation surrounding the sale of a Canadian company called Uranium One: "Nine people involved in the deal made donations to the Clinton Foundation totaling more than $140 million, In exchange, Secretary of State Clinton approved the sale to the Russians, a quid pro quo."
Smith traced the origins of the claim, which has recently been in heavy circulation on Fox, but was first made in the 2015 book "Clinton Cash," written by Breitbart editor-at-large Peter Schweizer.
From there, it became a talking point on the campaign trail for President Trump, who asserted in June 2016 that "Hillary Clinton's State Department approved the transfer of 20% of America's uranium holdings to Russia, while nine investors in the deal funneled $145 million to the Clinton Foundation."
"That statement," Smith said, "is inaccurate in a number of ways."
It may have been jarring to hear for the most loyal Fox News viewers, who for weeks have heard the network's anchors and commentators breathlessly hype the uranium deal as a scandal of Watergate proportions -- and a story that the liberal mainstream media refused to touch.
Tucker Carlson has taken to calling it "the real Russia scandal." On Tuesday night, hours after Smith's debunking, Sean Hannity stood in front of an elaborate chart on the screen as he promised to "untangle the giant web of Clinton scandals and corruption."
"We know laws were broken. We know crimes were committed," Hannity said. "The evidence is overwhelming. It's incontrovertible."
Without naming his colleagues on the opinion side of the network, Smith delivered a powerful rebuttal to those claims on Tuesday. He explained that the deal required approval from an inter-agency committee known as "CFIUS," made up of the heads of the nine cabinet-level departments.
"The nine department heads all approved the sale of Uranium One," Smith said. "It was unanimous, not a Hillary Clinton approval."
"We don't know definitively whether Secretary Clinton participated at all directly," he added.
Clips of Smith's takedown went viral on Tuesday. Matt Gertz, a senior fellow at the anti-Fox watchdog Media Matters, called it a "methodical annihilation of his own network's coverage of the story."
It was the latest instance of Smith endearing himself to Fox critics -- and alienating the network's most diehard viewers.
In July, Hannity even called out Smith for his pointed critique of the current administration.
"I like Shep," Hannity said on his radio show. "But he's so anti-Trump."
