Stormy Daniels, the woman at the center of the Donald Trump investigation, was riding one of her favorite horses when news broke Thursday that the former president had become the first-ever former commander-in-chief to be indicted on criminal charges .

Daniels was unaware of the indictment for nearly two hours. She returned home with literally hundreds of messages and called her longtime attorney, Clark Brewster, to ask what was going on.

His first reaction? “She was surprised, honestly, even though it was mostly expected,” Brewster told USA TODAY.

To summarize:Grand jury indicts Donald Trump in New York, first time a former president has been criminally charged

A few weeks ago, Daniels said she would “dance in the street” if and when Trump was indicted on secret money charges stemming from her alleged affair with him in 2006. Those allegations and claims that Trump allegedly paid her $130,000 for her silence just days before the 2016 election, was first revealed after Trump defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton in a hard-fought race.

Brewster dismissed the remark Thursday night as “just a comment she may have made to try to be funny or something.”

In fact, when the significance of the charges hit, Daniels didn’t feel like dancing at all, Brewster said.

“The thing is, she feels bad that the guy got charged,” he said. “But on the other hand, really, she knew what the facts were and she wants him to deal with the truth as well. So from that perspective, there’s a certain feeling that the system is working.

Brewster, who has represented Daniels since 2019, added that he and Daniels both felt “it’s a sad day, honestly” but both felt vindicated by the indictment by a grand jury hearing evidence presented. by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.

Fact check:Stormy Daniels’ statement denying affair with Trump dates from 2018

“I think obviously the grand jury looked at a lot of documents and heard a lot of testimony and came to a decision, and I have to respect that,” Brewster said. “But on behalf of Stormy and honestly myself, there is no joy in seeing the man charged.”

“I think it’s a tragedy to see someone who was a former president and leader of this country being criminally charged,” he added. “But you have to respect the system and you have to respect the fact that we’re dealing with truth and justice, and the truth is ultimately what will get him acquitted or convicted.”

“And, you know, it proves the adage that we’ve all believed since we were little kids that no man is above the law,” Brewster said. “It’s really a testament, really, to our constitutional system.”