Hope Hicks delivered striking testimony on Friday, shedding light on the turmoil within Donald Trump‘s 2016 presidential campaign together with the release of a lewd tape and allegations of affairs with a Playboy model and a porn star just before the election.
As a close aide who interacted daily with Trump, Hicks revealed the campaign’s concerns about the potential impact of the Access Hollywood tape on the election. She also disclosed Trump’s reluctance to receive newspapers on the day a story about his alleged affair with Karen McDougal was set to publish.
Donald Trump (Credits: NBC New York)
Hicks, the ninth witness in the trial, initially appeared tentative on the stand, expressing nervousness before eventually becoming emotional while discussing her early years working for Trump at the Trump Organization.
Her testimony attracted the jury as she detailed the campaign’s efforts to manage the fallout from explosive reports, including discussions with Trump’s former fixer Michael Cohen and National Enquirer publisher David Pecker.
Pecker had previously testified about Hicks’s presence at a pivotal 2015 meeting where they discussed plans to suppress damaging stories, highlighting her involvement in key campaign decisions.
Hicks portrayed Trump as deeply involved in the campaign’s media strategy, describing him as a micromanager who dictated messaging and deserves credit for the campaign’s focus.
Trump “hush money” cover-up trial (Credits: WSWS)
Regarding allegations of affairs with McDougal and Stormy Daniels, Hicks described efforts to delay responses and issued denials as per Trump’s instructions.
Hicks painted Cohen in an unflattering light, suggesting that his claim of paying Daniels without Trump’s knowledge was dubious given his character.
However, Trump’s claim that the gag order prevents him from testifying was debunked by Judge Merchan, who clarified that it only applies to out-of-court statements. Despite Trump’s fundraising messages portraying himself as a victim of censorship, Merchan emphasized that he could testify if he chose to.
