Hope Hicks, Donald Trump's former campaign press secretary and White House communications director, faced questioning on Friday, seated close to her former boss. Hicks recounted the aftermath of the "Access Hollywood" tape and the White House's handling of stories regarding hush money payments.
Appearing visibly nervous, Hicks, after being questioned by prosecutors for over two hours, broke down in tears when Trump's attorney began his line of questioning. Despite the emotional moment, she concluded her testimony after a brief pause.
During her testimony, prosecutors presented jurors with the transcript of the infamous "Access Hollywood" tape, which greatly impacted Trump's campaign and allegedly heightened concerns about silencing Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election.
As court resumes on Monday, a new witness is set to take the stand, with several Trump White House aides, Trump Organization employees, Daniels, and Michael Cohen slated to testify for the prosecution.
Here are the key points from day 11 of the Trump hush money trial:
**Hicks Recalls Tape 'Crisis' and Denying Daniels' Allegations**
Hicks described feeling nervous as she took the witness stand, primarily focusing on her role in the Trump campaign during the October 2016 period, particularly addressing the fallout from the "Access Hollywood" tape release.
She discussed her response to the Wall Street Journal report on Karen McDougal's deal with American Media, Inc., denying allegations of affairs involving Trump. Hicks also shared insights into her conversations with Trump and Cohen regarding media inquiries.
**Insight into Trump's Reaction to 'Access Hollywood' Tape**
Jurors were provided with a full transcript of the "Access Hollywood" tape, revealing Trump's controversial remarks. Hicks detailed the chaos within the campaign following the tape's release and Trump's initial disbelief about his alleged comments.
Hicks forwarded the tape's transcript to campaign staffers, emphasizing the strategy to deny the allegations. She recounted Trump's reaction upon viewing the tape and his subsequent concern about potential fallout among female voters.
**Prosecutors Approach Allegations of Falsified Business Records**
Prosecutors delved deeper into the hush money negotiations, aiming to establish Trump's involvement in falsifying business records related to payments made to Daniels and McDougal. Hicks testified about the White House's response to media reports about Cohen's payment to Daniels and Trump's knowledge of it.
Hicks revealed Trump's preference for addressing the payment revelation before the 2018 elections rather than later, indicating his concern about potential fallout.
**Continued Attacks on Michael Cohen's Credibility**
Trump's legal team persisted in discrediting Cohen, highlighting instances where he acted independently during the campaign. Hicks described Cohen as a "fixer" who often operated outside authorized channels.
Digital forensics expert testimony was also utilized to challenge Cohen's credibility, although no evidence of tampering with data related to recordings was found.
**Judge Clarifies Gag Order Scope**
Judge Juan Merchan reiterated that the gag order imposed on Trump does not prevent him from testifying if he chooses to do so. Despite Trump's prior claims about the gag order's impact, the judge clarified that it only restricts extrajudicial statements.
Trump has paid fines for previous gag order violations, and additional alleged violations remain under review by the court.
As the trial progresses, the prosecution aims to establish Trump's involvement in the hush money payments, while Trump's legal team continues to challenge the credibility of key witnesses.
Appearing visibly nervous, Hicks, after being questioned by prosecutors for over two hours, broke down in tears when Trump's attorney began his line of questioning. Despite the emotional moment, she concluded her testimony after a brief pause.
During her testimony, prosecutors presented jurors with the transcript of the infamous "Access Hollywood" tape, which greatly impacted Trump's campaign and allegedly heightened concerns about silencing Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election.
As court resumes on Monday, a new witness is set to take the stand, with several Trump White House aides, Trump Organization employees, Daniels, and Michael Cohen slated to testify for the prosecution.
Here are the key points from day 11 of the Trump hush money trial:
**Hicks Recalls Tape 'Crisis' and Denying Daniels' Allegations**
Hicks described feeling nervous as she took the witness stand, primarily focusing on her role in the Trump campaign during the October 2016 period, particularly addressing the fallout from the "Access Hollywood" tape release.
She discussed her response to the Wall Street Journal report on Karen McDougal's deal with American Media, Inc., denying allegations of affairs involving Trump. Hicks also shared insights into her conversations with Trump and Cohen regarding media inquiries.
**Insight into Trump's Reaction to 'Access Hollywood' Tape**
Jurors were provided with a full transcript of the "Access Hollywood" tape, revealing Trump's controversial remarks. Hicks detailed the chaos within the campaign following the tape's release and Trump's initial disbelief about his alleged comments.
Hicks forwarded the tape's transcript to campaign staffers, emphasizing the strategy to deny the allegations. She recounted Trump's reaction upon viewing the tape and his subsequent concern about potential fallout among female voters.
**Prosecutors Approach Allegations of Falsified Business Records**
Prosecutors delved deeper into the hush money negotiations, aiming to establish Trump's involvement in falsifying business records related to payments made to Daniels and McDougal. Hicks testified about the White House's response to media reports about Cohen's payment to Daniels and Trump's knowledge of it.
Hicks revealed Trump's preference for addressing the payment revelation before the 2018 elections rather than later, indicating his concern about potential fallout.
**Continued Attacks on Michael Cohen's Credibility**
Trump's legal team persisted in discrediting Cohen, highlighting instances where he acted independently during the campaign. Hicks described Cohen as a "fixer" who often operated outside authorized channels.
Digital forensics expert testimony was also utilized to challenge Cohen's credibility, although no evidence of tampering with data related to recordings was found.
**Judge Clarifies Gag Order Scope**
Judge Juan Merchan reiterated that the gag order imposed on Trump does not prevent him from testifying if he chooses to do so. Despite Trump's prior claims about the gag order's impact, the judge clarified that it only restricts extrajudicial statements.
Trump has paid fines for previous gag order violations, and additional alleged violations remain under review by the court.
As the trial progresses, the prosecution aims to establish Trump's involvement in the hush money payments, while Trump's legal team continues to challenge the credibility of key witnesses.
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