Here's a random thought about the Stormy Daniels saga

[PJMcK]

A remarkable facet of this tale is that Trump hasn't reacted in his normal acerbic manner. In fact, he's mostly kept mum about Ms. Daniels' allegations.

Why is that? What about her has shut him up?

My abstract and totally uninformed idea is this. What if Trump's prenuptial agreement stipulates that he cannot cheat on Melania or it would trigger a massive payout to her? It would be particularly devastating if it turned out that Trump cheated just after the birth of their son. He could be facing something he hates: paying other people.

Could something like that be possible and enforceable?

Trump's behavior in this story has been completely out of character. It's very strange.

[Aristus]

1. That, and the possibility that he actually has no money to pay out.

I'm pretty sure the one thing Trump fears above all is people finding out that he's nowhere near as wealthy as he boasts; that he's very likely living on a tippy, precarious mountain of debt and no real assets.

[HipChick]

2. Sounds like just what Chris Hayes is discussing on his show..

[jberryhill]

3. I think it is the only matter in which he's taking and following advice

I doubt the pre-nup thing.

I would venture to guess that foisting a one-sided pre-nup on Melania was not difficult, and that the pre-nup was drafted by his lawyers. To the extent that Melania got any legal advice, I would imagine it was from a Trump-connected lawyer.

The idea that a fidelity provision would have been included in a Trump pre-nup strikes me as at the flying buttmonkey level of probability.

What if Trump's prenuptial agreement stipulates that he cannot cheat on Melania or it would trigger a massive payout to her?

How would that have come to pass? At whose suggestion would that make it into the agreement? Melania was concerned about the sanctity of the marital institution, and couldn't bear the thought of someone else indulging in her sweet mancake? Or Trump, who cheated on his first two wives, and just felt like "Hey, here's a challenge!"

On why he isn't tweeting or talking about it, I have two theories. The most obvious one is that he understands that Avenatti has tried everything he can do thus far to evoke an actionable response, and is actually doing the tactically correct thing as improbable as that normally is for Trump.

[pnwmom]

4. As the third wife, Melania knew very well about how he behaved with the other two,

and she might have been deluded enough to think that she could prevent him from doing the same thing to her -- with a legal contract appearing to bind him.

[jberryhill]

6. She also knew immigration rules pretty well too

She did not have relatively significant bargaining power.

[NCTraveler]

5. Seems to me that the NDA is in place.

I don’t see how it’s in his best interest to say anything. I’m not sure why as many comments have been made by them considering they aren’t doing a full on social media blitz.

Daniels and her lawyer have been drawing them out. They are lowering themselves to Trumps level. It’s a good strategy considering neither Trump or his lawyers feel they can be honest about the situation. I don’t believe Trump wasn’t aware. Seems like a clear FEC issue. I do hope Stormy keeps it up.