Hope Hicks Testifies at Trump’s Hush Money Trial in New York
Hope Hicks, former White House official and Donald Trump adviser, took the stand in the former president’s hush money trial, providing jurors with insight into the chaos that ensued after the release of the infamous “Access Hollywood” tape in 2016. Hicks recounted how the Trump campaign scrambled to contain the fallout from the tape, which captured Trump boasting about grabbing women without their permission.
The trial aims to show that the controversy surrounding the tape led Trump’s then-lawyer to pay off a porn actor to bury a negative story that could have jeopardized his 2016 presidential bid. Hicks testified about her efforts to address the situation, including reaching out to Trump’s attorney Michael Cohen to investigate rumors of another damaging tape, which turned out to be false.
Hicks also recalled her attempts to delay a Wall Street Journal story about American Media Inc. buying the rights to former Playboy model Karen McDougal’s story of an alleged affair with Trump. Despite her efforts, the story was published just days before the 2016 election.
Throughout her testimony, Hicks spoke highly of Trump, describing him as a hard worker and a good multitasker. Prosecutors have been using detailed testimony and evidence to build their case against Trump, accusing him of illegally influencing the election through the hush money scheme.
The trial has also shed light on Trump’s interactions with Cohen, including a recording of a conversation where they discussed a plan to pay off McDougal to keep her story quiet. Trump is facing 34 counts of falsifying internal Trump Organization business records related to the hush money payments.
Hicks’ testimony comes at a crucial time in the trial, as prosecutors prepare to call Cohen to the stand. The defense has been working to undermine the credibility of prosecution witnesses and argue that Trump was trying to protect his reputation and family, not his campaign, by keeping the women quiet.
Hicks’ proximity to Trump over the years has made her a key figure in various investigations, including those related to Russia election interference and the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. Her testimony provides a firsthand account of the inner workings of the Trump campaign during a tumultuous period that ultimately led to the hush money scandal.