On the 11th day of the New York v. Trump criminal trial, the former Trump campaign and White House communications director testified that former Trump campaign lawyer Michael Cohen often frustrated and unhelpful to campaign staff.
On the stand, Hicks testified that Cohen “used to like to call himself ‘Mr. Fix-It,’ but only because he was the first to break it.”
Mr. Cohen is at the center of a lawsuit filed by Manhattan District Attorney Mr. Bragg against the former president to silence allegations of an affair with Trump by falsifying business records related to payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. He is expected to be a powerful witness. Early 2000s.
Mr. Cohen arranged and executed a $130,000 payment to Mr. Daniels, which Mr. Trump paid for what was listed as legal costs, but which prosecutors claim was reimbursement for the payment to Mr. Daniels. There is.
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Hope Hicks slams former Trump ‘fixer’ Michael Cohen in court during Trump’s criminal trial (Alex Wong/Getty Images | Mary Altafer/AP Photo)
President Trump denies having an affair and has pleaded not guilty to 34 criminal charges.
Michael Colangelo, a prosecuting attorney and former Justice Department official, asked Hicks, who served as press secretary for Trump’s 2016 campaign, about Trump’s reaction to the “Access Hollywood” tape just before the 2016 election. did. In the article, President Trump was captured making lewd comments about women to a TV host in 2005.
Prosecutors have continually asked for this tape to be played to the jury, but Judge Juan Melchán ruled that while the recording could be viewed, the video was inadmissible as evidence and was too much to play in court. He repeatedly said that it was too disadvantageous.
They claim in court filings that the tapes “directly reveal defendant’s intentions and motives, both when he and his associates paid Stormy Daniels and when they subsequently attempted to conceal those payments.” “It reflects that,” he said.
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Hope Hicks, a former White House communications director in President Trump’s administration, testified at the criminal trial on Friday. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
“The release of the Access Hollywood Tapes caused panic within the campaign about Defendant’s electoral prospects and ultimately triggered the completion of Stormy Daniels’ commission,” the filing states.
But on Friday, Hicks, who worked for the Trump Organization before joining the campaign and eventually worked in the White House as a top aide to the president, said Trump’s main concern after the leak was that his wife He testified that it was an influence on Melania Trump.
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US President Donald Trump and attorneys Emile Bove and Tod Blanche attend trial on charges of concealing hush money payments in Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City, May 3, 2024. (Curtis Means Pool/Getty Images)
“He was worried about how this would be viewed nationally,” Hicks said. “Mr. Trump really values Mrs. Trump’s opinion. She doesn’t always value her opinion, but when he hears her opinion…it’s priceless,” Hicks said on cross-examination. told Emile Bove.
Hicks said President Trump asked newspapers about the leaked tape not to bring it to Trump’s official residence.
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Mr. Bove asked Mr. Hicks about Mr. Trump’s impact on his family. “I don’t think he wanted anyone in his family to be hurt or embarrassed by anything related to the campaign. He wanted his family to be proud of him.” she answered.
FOX News’ Grace Taggart, Maria Pavovich and Kelly Kupek-Urburn contributed to this report.
