With tears in her eyes and a frank admission of nerves, former adviser to Donald Trump, Hope Hicks, took the witness stand in New York City for the former president’s criminal hush money trial. Friday marked the 11th day of the trial, and Hicks, a former model-turned-communications director, was arguably the most high-profile witness to testify so far. She had been one of Trump’s longest-serving aides, helping navigate the scandals at the heart of the New York criminal case during his 2016 campaign.
Trump is facing 34 felony counts related to falsifying business records at the time of the 2016 race, specifically regarding hush money payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels. Trump has denied the extramarital affair and any wrongdoing, claiming he was only trying to spare his family embarrassment, not interfere with the election. The trial is one of four criminal cases Trump is facing as he runs for reelection in November.
Highlights from Friday’s hearings included Trump attempting to clarify his earlier statement about not being allowed to testify, witnesses from the district attorney’s office testifying about evidence, and Hicks taking the stand to discuss her role in the campaign and Trump’s involvement in media strategy. She also reflected on the Access Hollywood tape and allegations of extramarital affairs, becoming emotional at times during her testimony.
Trump paid a fine for violating his gag order restrictions, and prosecutors unsuccessfully petitioned the judge to allow them to question him about the violations. The trial will continue after the weekend recess.