Ms Daniels told Talk TV’s Piers Morgan Uncensored she did not think he deserved to be put behind bars for what he did.

But she added that if he was found guilty of other crimes he is accused of, then he should be jailed to stop others from thinking they can get away with the same.

Mr Trump faces separate criminal investigations about mishandling classified material, trying to overturn an election in Georgia, and his role in the storming of the US Capitol building.

When asked if she would testify in the forthcoming trial, Ms Daniels said she “absolutely” would.

“It’s daunting but I look forward to it, I have nothing to hide. I’m the only one who has been telling the truth.”

Her feelings when she saw Mr Trump walk into the courtroom were mixed, she said, but the overriding emotion was sadness.

“He had to be under the rule of someone else, the judge. The king had been dethroned. He’s no longer untouchable.”

The prosecutor bringing the case, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, said trying to disguise the payment to Ms Daniels amounted to defrauding voters, coming so close to an election.

Mr Trump denies ever having sexual relations with Ms Daniels and says the payment was made to protect his family from false allegations, not to sway the election.

Legal experts have told the BBC they think it unlikely Mr Trump will be jailed if convicted and a fine is the more likely outcome.

The former president is running again for the White House and the criminal trial next year could disrupt his attempts to seek the Republican nomination.

Republican colleagues have rallied around him since the indictment and attacked Mr Bragg, a Democrat, as carrying out a politically motivated prosecution.