On the docket: Hope Hicks, Trumpâs favorite staffer, takes the stand
Hope Hicks spent more time with former president Donald Trump than perhaps anyone else, from the launch of his political career through the end of his time in the White House.
On Friday, Hicks took the witness stand to testify against her former boss.
Hicks, a former campaign and White House spokeswoman who was constantly by Trumpâs side and one of his most trusted advisers until he left office, appeared at his trial under subpoena, and was clearly unhappy about being compelled to testify. After being asked to speak more clearly into the microphone, she said she was âreally nervousâ to be there. Later, as Trumpâs lawyer began cross-examining her, Hicks burst into tears, and Judge Juan Merchan granted a recess to allow her to compose herself. She was spotted clutching a tissue.
Hicks testified to prosecutors that Trump told her in 2018, when the story about adult film star Stormy Danielsâ alleged affair became public, that his fixer and attorney Michael Cohen had paid to keep the story quiet âfrom the kindness of his own heartâ and didnât tell anyone it had happened. She said she didnât believe him, because that would be âout of character for Michaelâ, whom she knew as the âkind of person who seeks creditâ, not âan especially charitable or selfless personâ. That testimony undercuts Trumpâs chances of distancing himself from Cohenâs hush-money payment. Prosecutors need to prove Trump falsified business records to repay Cohen for that payment.
At the end of prosecutorsâ questions, Hicks told them that Trumpâs attitude in 2018 when the Daniels news broke âwas it was better to be dealing with it now and that it would have been bad to have that story come out before the electionâ. That helps prosecutors, who are seeking to show that Trump conspired to bury accusations of marital infidelities to help win the election â the underlying crime that lets them elevate their charges of falsifying business records against him to felonies.
She also testified about the panic that set in within the campaign in early October 2016 when the Access Hollywood recording emerged of Trump bragging about groping women. âIt was a damaging development,â she said. âThis was a crisis.â
But she then undercut prosecutorsâ theory of the case â and helped her former boss with testimony that, while it made Trump look like a huge jerk, could actually help him avoid conviction. Trumpâs lawyers argue that Trump was simply worried about how his wife, Melania, would feel about extramarital affars â and Hicks gave them some significant ammo on that front.
Hicks testified that on the day that the Wall Street Journal planned to publish the story that the National Enquirer had bought then buried about former Playboy model Karen McDougalâs claim of an extended affair with Trump, he was concerned about how Melania would react and tried to keep the news from her. âHe wanted me to make sure that the newspapers were [not] delivered to their residence that morning,â Hicks said.
Melania Trump, who has not attended any of her husbandâs criminal trial, was pregnant and delivered their son Barron during the period that McDougal claims the affair occurred. Trumpâs son Eric is the only member of his immediate family to join the former president in the courtroom.
During cross-examination, Trump attorney Emil Bove took a gentle approach with Hicks, who seemed not to want to hurt her boss. Bove got Hicks to agree with his statement that Cohen sometimes âwent rogueâ without discussing things with the campaign.
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In other news
Before the jury was brought in on Friday morning, Merchan corrected Trumpâs false claim made yesterday outside the courtroom that the judgeâs gag order against him prevents the former president from testifying in the trial (it just blocks him from talking about witnesses and the jury outside the courtroom). âââIt came to my attention that there may be a misunderstanding [about] the order restricting extrajudicial statements and how it impacts Mr Trumpâs right to testify at trial,â he said. âI want to stress, Mr Trump, that you have an absolute right to testify at trial ⦠The order prohibiting extrajudicial statements does not prevent you from testifying in any way.â
After the trial day concluded, Merchan ruled with Trumpâs attorneys and said that if the former president takes the stand to testify, prosecutors arenât allowed to bring up the fact that Merchan had held him in contempt for violating his gag order, saying it would be âprejudicialâ.
