Hope Hicks, one of ex-President Donald Trump's key aides, has been summoned to testify in Trump's New York criminal trial. Hicks served as Trump's top press aide during his 2016 presidential campaign and the former White House communications director. Prosecutors will question Hicks about her understanding of the prominent events related to the trial, including an alleged plan to purchase rights to potentially damaging stories.
Earlier testimony from David Pecker, former National Enquirer publisher, revealed Hicks' involvement in a 2015 Trump Tower meeting. The meeting, also attended by Trump and Michael Cohen, Trump's attorney, allegedly marked the origin of the "catch and kill" strategy to suppress negative stories about Trump.
In the trial, prosecutors presented evidence including an email to Hicks from a National Enquirer editor about a 2008 Trump article and a series of texts between Hicks and Cohen from November 2016. The texts revolve around a Wall Street Journal story concerning a payment to Karen McDougal, a Playboy model who was paid $150,000 in return for her account's rights by the Enquirer's parent company.
Hicks also witnessed the release of the infamous "Access Hollywood" tape, where Trump was heard making derogatory remarks about women. This tape was a considerable driving factor in the decision to pay Daniels, who was willing to disclose an alleged sexual encounter with Trump. Allegedly, Cohen paid Daniels $130,000 for her silence.
Hicks arrived in court dressed in a blue blouse and black suit jacket. She started her testimony by discussing her history of working for Trump, which began in 2014. Hicks highlighted Trump's hardworking nature and assertive leadership style. She spoke of Trump's attentive involvement in the campaign's press strategy, and his relationships within the organization.
Hicks also discussed her initial interactions with David Pecker and details about Trump's political aspirations, which became evident in January 2015. She shared information about a key event in October 2016 about the "Access Hollywood" tape, which led to a major political fallout. Hicks described the reaction within the Trump campaign, with Trump denying the comments and the team preparing for the expected public reaction.
Hicks learned about the payments to McDougal and Daniels on Nov. 4, 2016, following an inquiry from a Wall Street Journal reporter. Hicks relied on Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who had a close relationship with the Journal's owner, Rupert Murdoch. Hicks also consulted with Cohen and Pecker regarding their statement to the Journal, resulting in a denial of the accusations.
The reporter also mentioned Daniels, whose name Hicks had heard before in November 2015. Daniels claimed in a 2018 "60 Minutes" segment that she met Trump at a celebrity golf tournament in Nevada in 2006 where they had an alleged sexual encounter, which Trump has denied.
