The former aide testified Friday in Trump’s ongoing criminal case in New York.
In Trump’s continuing legal trial in New York, the former aide took the stand on Friday. In Trump’s continuing criminal trial in New York, the original aide took the stand on Friday.
The former aide testified Friday in Trump’s ongoing criminal case in New York.
LOADINGERROR LOADING. Former Donald Trump spokesperson Hope Hicks began testifying Friday in the business fraud trial that’s ensnared her former boss, whom she described as “very involved” in the operation’s media strategy.. Recalling her long history with the Trump clan, Hicks said the Trump campaign was in “crisis” after the Washington Post in 2016 published a transcript of Trump bragging about his ability to sexually assault women.. Advertisement. An audio version of what became known as the “Access Hollywood” tape leaked soon after.. In it, Trump can be heard telling former “Access Hollywood” correspondent Billy Bush, “When you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything. … Grab ’em by the pussy. You can do anything.”. The development knocked coverage of a Category 4 hurricane from the news, Hicks recalled.. “I had a good sense this was going to be a massive story and dominate the news cycle,” she said in court Friday. “I think there was consensus amongst us all that the tape was damaging and this was a crisis.”. Prosecutors displayed an urgent email Hicks forwarded to senior members of the campaign regarding the tape and how they should respond.. “FLAGGING,” the email says, then offers two thoughts:“Need to hear the tape to be sure”“Deny, deny, deny.”. Advertisement. Hicks said Trump’s response was initially pretty muted compared to the rest of the campaign staff, and that he regarded the tape as fairly standard subject matter for two guys chatting with each other.. That set the tenor for the campaign’s initial, more dismissive, public statement, which cast the tape as no more than “locker room banter” and “a private conversation that took place many years ago.”. When that failed to quell the outrage, Hicks said, Trump agreed to release a more direct apology. In her recollection, Trump seemed more concerned with the political fallout than anything else.. Hicks’ relationship with Trump soured after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, which she previously said made Trump staffers “all look like domestic terrorists.”. Trump faces 34 criminal counts for allegedly falsifying business records to conceal hush money payments made in 2016 to silence allegations of an extramarital affair with adult film star Stormy Daniels.. Advertisement. Prosecutors will likely use the “Access Hollywood” tape to bolster their depiction of Trump as the type of person who could conceivably have had extramarital affairs. While jurors will not hear audio of the tape itself, it can be described and quoted from for the jury.. Our 2024 Coverage Needs You. It’s Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help. The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake. Our 2024 Coverage Needs You. Your Loyalty Means The World To Us. As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That’s why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.. Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we’ll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can’t find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.. Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.. Can’t afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.. The 2024 election is heating up, and women’s rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. 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With your help, we’ll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can’t find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.. Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.. Can’t afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.. Dear HuffPost Reader. Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.. The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?. Dear HuffPost Reader. Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.. The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you’ll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.. Support HuffPost. Already contributed? Log in to hide these messages.. Related. Donald TrumpHush moneyhope hicksaccess hollywood. Judge Calls Out Trump For Making False Claims About Gag Order. Lawrence O’Donnell Interprets Why Trump Glared ‘Directly’ At Him In Court. Trump Aide Hope Hicks’ Angry Jan. 6 Texts: ‘We All Look Like Domestic Terrorists’. Hope Hicks Expected To Testify In Trump’s Hush Money Trial: Reports
