Stormy Daniels , the porn actor who maintains she once had an affair with former President Donald Trump , took the stand Tuesday in his New York criminal trial.

Daniels testimony is expected to be key to the prosecutions case against Trump, who is accused of falsifying New York state business records to conceal a hush money payment to her in the days before the 2016 presidential election.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and his office have argued that this payment was made to influence the outcome of the election, meaning Trump could potentially be convicted of felonies and sentenced to prison.

Trump looked away from the witness stand as she began speaking, staring instead at the monitor in front of him that showed her testifying.

Asked if she could identify Trump in the courtroom Tuesday, Daniels extended her right arm and pointer finger in his direction.

From the stand, Daniels recalled that she and other adult film stars met Trump at a celebrity golf tournament held near Lake Tahoe in 2006. She and Trump had two casual encounters in passing, she said; later, his security guard approached and asked if shed like to have dinner with Trump.

Her initial response to the invite: F no.

Then, clarifying for jurors: No, but with an expletive in front.

After chatting with her publicist, she said, she reconsidered dinner with Trump. Plus, she said, it would be a really good excuse to skip a work-related function she didnt want to attend. What could go wrong? she recalled telling a friend of the invite.

Daniels said she didnt really have any expectations about the dinner, except that she would meet Trump at his hotel room before going down to a restaurant.