Donald Trump’s former communications director, Hope Hicks, testified in the New York criminal trial against the ex-US president and described her view of a scandal surrounding a sexist video that was made public during the 2016 presidential election campaign. She was “very, very worried” when the so-called Access Hollywoodvideo emerged, Hicks said on the witness stand in court, according to consistent US media reports Manhattan.
Hicks said it was immediately clear to her that the video, which became public in October 2016, was a “huge story.” In the video from 2005, Trump boasts that as a celebrity you can do anything to women, including grabbing their crotch. Hicks said during nearly three hours of questioning on the witness stand that she instructed her staff to “deny, deny, deny” after the video surfaced.
At the start of the interview, Hicks said she was nervous. At one point her testimony had to be interrupted for a short break because she burst into tears.
In the proceedings – the first criminal trial against a former US president in the history of the United States – Trump is charged with, among other things, falsifying business documents. The background is a hush money payment to porn actress Stormy Daniels during the 2016 election campaign. Trump is accused of falsifying business documents in order to cover up the payment. The 77-year-old, who is seeking re-election as US president in November, has pleaded not guilty.
Questions about then-Trump lawyer Michael Cohen
Hicks was also asked by the court about her view of former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen, who has been repeatedly portrayed by the Trump defense as untrustworthy. A report from the New York Times Hicks said she found it implausible that Cohen paid Stormy Daniels hush money on his own initiative. At the same time, according to the report, Hicks described Trump as a family man whose motivation for suppressing negative reporting may not have been to win the election, but rather to avoid endangering his relationship with his wife and other relatives. Regarding her personal relationship with Trump, the 35-year-old said that she had not spoken to the ex-president since 2022.
The trial began in mid-April and, according to the court, could last up to eight weeks. If convicted, Trump faces several years in prison, which could also be suspended. Trump would also have the opportunity to appeal. Even after a possible conviction – and even in the event of a prison sentence – the Republican is likely to run in the presidential election.
Three more criminal trials against Trump are currently being prepared in the USA, including for attempted election fraud and taking secret government documents. There are also numerous civil lawsuits. The ex-president and his legal team are trying to block or delay the proceedings using legal means and have already been partially successful in doing so.
Donald Trump’s former communications director, Hope Hicks, testified in the New York criminal trial against the ex-US president and described her view of a scandal surrounding a sexist video that was made public during the 2016 presidential election campaign. She was “very, very worried” when the so-called Access Hollywoodvideo emerged, Hicks said on the witness stand in court, according to consistent US media reports Manhattan.
Hicks said it was immediately clear to her that the video, which became public in October 2016, was a “huge story.” In the video from 2005, Trump boasts that as a celebrity you can do anything to women, including grabbing their crotch. Hicks said during nearly three hours of questioning on the witness stand that she instructed her staff to “deny, deny, deny” after the video surfaced.