A sex scandal that’s boring the public − and a judge forced to keep Trump focused

Stormy Daniels, second from left, exits the courthouse in New York on May 7, 2024. AP Photo/Seth Wenig by David E. Clementson, University of Georgia and John E. Jones III, Dickinson College John E. Jones III is the president of Dickinson College and a retired federal judge appointed by President George W. Bush. David E. Clementson is a scholar of political communication at the University of Georgia and a specialist in political deception. Senior politics editor Naomi Schalit interviewed the two about the latest developments in the hush-money trial of former President Donald Trump, and the discussion ranged from the judge’s handling of the case (“Adroit,” says Jones) to the purportedly salacious testimony of Stormy Daniels (“No one really seems to care,” says Clementson). What have you both seen from the trial in the past week that has stood out to you? John E. Jones III: What impresses me is that, despite the circus that it could devolve into, I have to give Judge Juan Merchan credit for his adroit handling of the case. It’s clearly moving faster than many predicted. That’s the role of the trial judge, to keep the parties moving without rushing them. If you rush them,...