Leroy N. Soetoro
2024-05-05 19:54:37 UTC
https://www.politico.com/news/2024/05/03/trump-hush-money-trial-hope-
hicks-testimony-00156137
NEW YORK In a trial that turns on a hush money payment to a porn star,
Donald Trump loyalist Hope Hicks offered emotional testimony Friday that
portrayed him as a family man.
The testimony of Hicks, Trumps former communications aide for his 2016
presidential campaign and his White House communications director, marked
perhaps the first boost to Trumps defense since the trial started even
though she was called to the stand by the prosecution.
Hicks was one of the most highly anticipated witnesses of the trial, which
has now finished its third week. She spoke softly in her first few moments
on the stand, admitting she was nervous.
Trumps lawyers have argued that Trumps motivation in seeking to silence
the accounts of two women former Playboy model Karen McDougal and porn
star Stormy Daniels who claimed sexual encounters with him wasnt to
help his 2016 presidential campaign, as prosecutors have alleged, but
instead to protect his family. The motive is important because, in trying
to convict Trump of 34 felonies, prosecutors are seeking to link allegedly
fraudulent business records with violations of election law.
During her roughly three hours of testimony, Hicks offered some ammunition
for both sides. She testified that Trump told her in February 2018 that it
was preferable that the Daniels story became public after the election,
instead of before it. But she also said his interest in suppressing the
allegations from the women stemmed from his desire to shield his wife,
Melania.
After the Wall Street Journal published an article on Nov. 4, 2016, that
detailed the hush money payment to McDougal and mentioned Daniels, Hicks
said Trump was concerned how it would be viewed by his wife, and said
Trump asked Hicks to ensure that newspapers werent delivered to their
residence that morning.
She also testified that she didnt believe Trump was specifically
concerned with how the story might impact his presidential campaign.
Prosecutors have argued that, in the wake of the Access Hollywood tape,
which had been made public a few weeks earlier, Trump sought to conceal
other unflattering stories about his conduct with women to protect his
political interests.
But Hicks said Trump did not seem overly concerned about the public
response to the tape, on which he is heard bragging about grabbing womens
genitals. Trump, she said, believed the tape wasnt good, but also was
pretty standard stuff for two guys chatting.
And again, Hicks testified that Trumps main worry was his wife.
President Trump really values Mrs. Trumps opinion, and she doesnt weigh
in all the time, but when she does its really meaningful to him.
He really, really respects what she has to say, she continued. I think
he was just concerned about what her perception of this would be.
Still, elements of Hicks testimony are sure to help prosecutors case.
She described the fallout of the Access Hollywood tape as intense, so
much so that it overtook news coverage of a category 4 hurricane that had
been expected to make landfall on the East Coast.
She recounted how she and other campaign aides scrambled to respond to the
revelation. There was consensus amongst us all that the tape was damaging
and this was a crisis, she said.
And she recalled a conversation she had with Trump about a phone call he
had with his lawyer, Michael Cohen, the morning after Cohen told the New
York Times that he alone had paid the $130,000 to Daniels, without Trumps
involvement.
Mr. Trump was saying he had spoken to Michael and that Michael had paid
this woman to protect him from a false allegation, she recalled. And
that Michael felt like it was his job to protect him, and that thats what
he was doing. And he did it out of the kindness of his own heart and he
never told anybody about it.
Prosecutor Matthew Colangelo asked if that version of the events was
consistent with Hicks perception of Cohen, and Hicks offered a response
that suggested she didnt believe Trumps account of what had happened.
I would say that would be out of character for Michael, she said. I
didnt know Michael to be an especially charitable person or selfless
person, she said, describing him as the kind of person who seeks
credit.
Hicks said Trump told her that he thought it was a generous thing to do,
and he was appreciative of the loyalty. She also said Trump asked her if
it was preferable that they were contending with the story after the
election.
Mr. Trumps opinion was that it was better to be dealing with it now and
that it would have been bad to have that put out before the election, she
testified.
That comment, perhaps the most damaging for Trump of Hickss testimony
because it aligned with prosecutors theory that Trump was seeking to
protect his campaign, marked the end of the direct examination of Hicks.
Moments later, she appeared overwhelmed with emotion, tearing up on the
witness stand and blotting her eyes with a tissue.
Justice Juan Merchan took a short break, allowing her to exit the room,
and when she returned, her eyes were red.
During cross-examination, Trump lawyer Emil Bove sought to distance Cohen
from Trumps presidential campaign operations. Bove asked Hicks if Cohen
did things that were frustrating to the campaign, or that were
unauthorized, and if he went rogue at times.
Yes, Hicks replied.
Bove asked if Cohen did things that were not helpful to the campaign.
Yes. I used to say that he liked to call himself a fixer or Mr. Fix It,
and it was only because he first broke it, she said, laughing, that he
was able to fix it.
Before she left the stand, she offered one last bit of solace for her
former boss. Asked whether the Oval Office was a chaotic place in 2017,
she agreed, but cautioned that it wasnt in a bad way.
As she responded, Trump attorney Todd Blanche, seated next to Trump,
flashed her a smile.
--
We live in a time where intelligent people are being silenced so that
stupid people won't be offended.
Durham Report: The FBI has an integrity problem. It has none.
No collusion - Special Counsel Robert Swan Mueller III, March 2019.
Officially made Nancy Pelosi a two-time impeachment loser.
Thank you for cleaning up the disaster of the 2008-2017 Obama / Biden
fiasco, President Trump.
Under Barack Obama's leadership, the United States of America became the
The World According To Garp. Obama sold out heterosexuals for Hollywood
queer liberal democrat donors.
President Trump boosted the economy, reduced illegal invasions, appointed
dozens of judges and three SCOTUS justices.
hicks-testimony-00156137
NEW YORK In a trial that turns on a hush money payment to a porn star,
Donald Trump loyalist Hope Hicks offered emotional testimony Friday that
portrayed him as a family man.
The testimony of Hicks, Trumps former communications aide for his 2016
presidential campaign and his White House communications director, marked
perhaps the first boost to Trumps defense since the trial started even
though she was called to the stand by the prosecution.
Hicks was one of the most highly anticipated witnesses of the trial, which
has now finished its third week. She spoke softly in her first few moments
on the stand, admitting she was nervous.
Trumps lawyers have argued that Trumps motivation in seeking to silence
the accounts of two women former Playboy model Karen McDougal and porn
star Stormy Daniels who claimed sexual encounters with him wasnt to
help his 2016 presidential campaign, as prosecutors have alleged, but
instead to protect his family. The motive is important because, in trying
to convict Trump of 34 felonies, prosecutors are seeking to link allegedly
fraudulent business records with violations of election law.
During her roughly three hours of testimony, Hicks offered some ammunition
for both sides. She testified that Trump told her in February 2018 that it
was preferable that the Daniels story became public after the election,
instead of before it. But she also said his interest in suppressing the
allegations from the women stemmed from his desire to shield his wife,
Melania.
After the Wall Street Journal published an article on Nov. 4, 2016, that
detailed the hush money payment to McDougal and mentioned Daniels, Hicks
said Trump was concerned how it would be viewed by his wife, and said
Trump asked Hicks to ensure that newspapers werent delivered to their
residence that morning.
She also testified that she didnt believe Trump was specifically
concerned with how the story might impact his presidential campaign.
Prosecutors have argued that, in the wake of the Access Hollywood tape,
which had been made public a few weeks earlier, Trump sought to conceal
other unflattering stories about his conduct with women to protect his
political interests.
But Hicks said Trump did not seem overly concerned about the public
response to the tape, on which he is heard bragging about grabbing womens
genitals. Trump, she said, believed the tape wasnt good, but also was
pretty standard stuff for two guys chatting.
And again, Hicks testified that Trumps main worry was his wife.
President Trump really values Mrs. Trumps opinion, and she doesnt weigh
in all the time, but when she does its really meaningful to him.
He really, really respects what she has to say, she continued. I think
he was just concerned about what her perception of this would be.
Still, elements of Hicks testimony are sure to help prosecutors case.
She described the fallout of the Access Hollywood tape as intense, so
much so that it overtook news coverage of a category 4 hurricane that had
been expected to make landfall on the East Coast.
She recounted how she and other campaign aides scrambled to respond to the
revelation. There was consensus amongst us all that the tape was damaging
and this was a crisis, she said.
And she recalled a conversation she had with Trump about a phone call he
had with his lawyer, Michael Cohen, the morning after Cohen told the New
York Times that he alone had paid the $130,000 to Daniels, without Trumps
involvement.
Mr. Trump was saying he had spoken to Michael and that Michael had paid
this woman to protect him from a false allegation, she recalled. And
that Michael felt like it was his job to protect him, and that thats what
he was doing. And he did it out of the kindness of his own heart and he
never told anybody about it.
Prosecutor Matthew Colangelo asked if that version of the events was
consistent with Hicks perception of Cohen, and Hicks offered a response
that suggested she didnt believe Trumps account of what had happened.
I would say that would be out of character for Michael, she said. I
didnt know Michael to be an especially charitable person or selfless
person, she said, describing him as the kind of person who seeks
credit.
Hicks said Trump told her that he thought it was a generous thing to do,
and he was appreciative of the loyalty. She also said Trump asked her if
it was preferable that they were contending with the story after the
election.
Mr. Trumps opinion was that it was better to be dealing with it now and
that it would have been bad to have that put out before the election, she
testified.
That comment, perhaps the most damaging for Trump of Hickss testimony
because it aligned with prosecutors theory that Trump was seeking to
protect his campaign, marked the end of the direct examination of Hicks.
Moments later, she appeared overwhelmed with emotion, tearing up on the
witness stand and blotting her eyes with a tissue.
Justice Juan Merchan took a short break, allowing her to exit the room,
and when she returned, her eyes were red.
During cross-examination, Trump lawyer Emil Bove sought to distance Cohen
from Trumps presidential campaign operations. Bove asked Hicks if Cohen
did things that were frustrating to the campaign, or that were
unauthorized, and if he went rogue at times.
Yes, Hicks replied.
Bove asked if Cohen did things that were not helpful to the campaign.
Yes. I used to say that he liked to call himself a fixer or Mr. Fix It,
and it was only because he first broke it, she said, laughing, that he
was able to fix it.
Before she left the stand, she offered one last bit of solace for her
former boss. Asked whether the Oval Office was a chaotic place in 2017,
she agreed, but cautioned that it wasnt in a bad way.
As she responded, Trump attorney Todd Blanche, seated next to Trump,
flashed her a smile.
--
We live in a time where intelligent people are being silenced so that
stupid people won't be offended.
Durham Report: The FBI has an integrity problem. It has none.
No collusion - Special Counsel Robert Swan Mueller III, March 2019.
Officially made Nancy Pelosi a two-time impeachment loser.
Thank you for cleaning up the disaster of the 2008-2017 Obama / Biden
fiasco, President Trump.
Under Barack Obama's leadership, the United States of America became the
The World According To Garp. Obama sold out heterosexuals for Hollywood
queer liberal democrat donors.
President Trump boosted the economy, reduced illegal invasions, appointed
dozens of judges and three SCOTUS justices.