1 of 3 | Hope Hicks, a long-time advisor for former President Donald Trump, sits for the start of a closed-door interview with the House Judiciary Committee regarding Trump’s actions and Russian interference in the 2016 election campaign, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on June 19, 2019. File Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo
The third week of the hush-money trial of Donald Trump concludes Friday with testimony from former aide Hope Hicks.
Hicks, former White House communications director under Trump, testified under subpoena Friday as a witness for the prosecution. She was once one of Trump’s closest advisers, recalling that she traveled with him “almost every day” during his campaign. Advertisement
As she took the stand, Hicks commented that she was “really nervous.”
The central focus of the prosecution’s questioning of Hicks was the infamous “Access Hollywood” tape. Hicks recounted her reaction to learning of the tape through an email from former The Washington Post reporter David Fahrenthold.
Hicks said she was very concerned about the tape, though she had only read a transcript of it at the time. She forwarded Fahrenthold’s email to others in the Trump campaign, urging that they need to hear the tape. Advertisement
“Need to hear the tape to be sure, deny, deny, deny,” Hicks wrote in an email to campaign officials including Kellyanne Conway, Steve Bannon and Jason Miller.
“There was consensus among us all that the tape was damaging and that this was going to be a crisis,” Hicks testified.
Hicks added that Trump downplayed the conversation heard on the tape, first stating that it “didn’t sound like something he would say.”
“I think he felt like it was pretty standard stuff for two guys chatting with each other,” Hicks said.
Hicks is testifying under subpoena and noted that she is paying for a lawyer in relation to this proceeding. She said she has not spoken to Trump since 2022.
Judge Juan Merchan opened Friday’s proceedings clarifying to the former president that the gag order against him does not block or limit his ability to testify. Trump claimed outside the courtroom Thursday that the gag order does not allow him to take the stand.
Merchan also clarified his ruling on the “Access Hollywood” tape, saying a full transcript will be allowed into evidence.
Initially, Merchan ruled an article and photo of Trump and Billy Bush, published in the Washington Post, would not be allowed. Advertisement
“It’s very powerful evidence. It’s damning evidence and I don’t think it’s necessary,” the judge said of the article.
However, the defense later agreed to the article being included in evidence with the caveat that no witnesses will be questioned about it.
Trump’s attorney Todd Blanche argued that a post from Trump on social media last August should not be entered into evidence, either. The post on Truth Social read, “If you go after me, I’m coming after you.”
Blanche said this post was directed at political donors as Trump was campaigning for the Republican nomination for president. Trump has since earned the delegates required to be named the nominee at the Republican National Convention in July.
Merchan ruled that the post will come into evidence, saying the prosecution established an appropriate foundation for it.
Forensics expert Douglas Daus returned to the witness stand to discuss audio recordings and text messages between Trump and his former attorney and alleged “fixer” Michael Cohen.
In these conversations Cohen and Trump discussed the “catch and kill” scheme to stop a story about the former president’s affair with Playboy model Karen McDougal from being published, according to Daus’ testimony Thursday. Advertisement
Daus also mentioned conversations between Cohen and Hicks.
Trump faces 34 felony charges related to allegedly falsifying business records in an attempt to hide hush-money payments made to McDougal and adult film actress Stormy Daniels while he campaigned for president in 2016.
