During the 11th day of the criminal trial in the case N.Y. v. Trump, former Trump campaign and White House communications director testified that Michael Cohen, Trump’s ex-lawyer, would often frustrate campaign staff and do things that were not helpful.
On the witness stand, Hicks testified that Cohen “used to like to call himself Mr. Fix It, but it was only because he first broke it.”
Cohen is a central player and is expected to be the star witness for Manhattan District Attorney Bragg’s case against the former president that he falsified business records connected to a payment made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels to quiet her claims alleging an illicit affair with Trump in the early 2000s.
Cohen arranged and made the $130,000 payment to Daniels, who was then paid by Trump for what were listed as legal expenses, but which the prosecution alleges were reimbursement for the payments for Daniels.
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Hope Hicks blasted former Trump ‘fixer’ Michael Cohen in court during Trump’s criminal trial ( Alex Wong/Getty Images | Mary Altaffer/AP Photo)
Trump has denied the affair and pleaded not guilty to the 34 criminal counts.
Michael Colangelo, a lawyer for the prosecution and former high-ranking official in the Justice Department, questioned Hicks — who served as the press secretary for Trump’s 2016 campaign — about Trump’s reaction to the “Access Hollywood” tape just prior to the 2016 presidential election, which captured Trump in 2005 making crude comments about women with a television host.
The prosecution has continuously pushed for the tape to be played for the jury, but Judge Juan Merchan had repeatedly said the video is not admissible evidence and is too prejudicial to be played in the courtroom, though they could refer to the transcript.
The tape, they argued in court filings, “bears directly on defendant’s intent and motive, both at the time that he and his confederates made the Stormy Daniels payoff and later when they sought to conceal that payment.”
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Hope Hicks, former White House communications director under Trump, testified during his criminal trial on Friday ( Alex Wong/Getty Images)
“The release of the Access Hollywood Tape caused a panic within the campaign about defendant’s electoral prospects and ultimately served as the catalyst for consummating the Stormy Daniels payoff,” a filing stated.
On Friday, however, Hicks, who served in the Trump Organization before joining the campaign and eventually the White House as a close advisor to the president, testified that Trump’s main concern following the leak was the impact on his wife, Melania Trump.
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U.S. President Donald Trump with attorneys Emil Bove and Todd Blanche attends his trial for allegedly covering up hush money payments at Manhattan Criminal Court on May 3, 2024 in New York City. (Curtis Means-Pool/Getty Images)
“He was worried about how this would be viewed at home,” Hicks said. “Mr. Trump really values Mrs. Trump’s opinion. She doesn’t weigh in all the time, but when she does… it’s valuable,” Hicks told defense attorney Emil Bove in cross-examination.
According to Hicks, Trump asked that newspapers about the leaked tape not to be brought to the Trump residence.
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Bove asked Hicks about the impact on Trump’s family. “I don’t think he wanted anyone in his family to be hurt or embarrassed about anything on the campaign. He wanted them to be proud of him,” she responded.
Fox News’ Grace Taggart, Maria Pavovich and Kerri Kupec Urbahn contributed to this report.
