FORMER White House official Hope Hicks has taken the stand during Donald Trump’s hush money trial recounting the explicit tape that threatened his campaign and how the former president wanted to protect his wife from getting hurt.
Hick’s testimony marked the end of the second week of Trump’s trial.
Hope Hicks took the stand on Friday to testify about the Access Hollywood tape that shook Donald Trump’s campaignCredit: Reuters
Hicks claims that the former president was worried his actions would affect his family and wanted to protect his wifeCredit: Getty
She shared with the jurors that she was nervous about her testimony and shed a few tears on the standCredit: Reuters
The former president is accused of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records for covering up a hush-money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels.
The pair allegedly had an affair in 2006.
Hicks, a former White House official, testified on Friday, revealing the worry his campaign had about the infamous tape that was leaked by Access Hollywood, according to The Associated Press.
The tape was recorded in 2005 but was not publicly seen until almost 11 years later in 2016, a month before election day.
Trump can be heard on the recording – which was captured on the Access Hollywood set – bragging about grabbing women.
“When you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything,” Trump can be heard saying.
Hicks recalled the day she found out about the story from a Washington Post reporter and the frenzy that took place amongst Trump’s advisers.
“I had a good sense to believe this was going to be a massive story and that it was going to dominate the news cycle for the next several days,” Hicks testified, according to AP.
“This was a damaging development.”
She also said, “This was just pulling us backwards in a way that was going to be hard to overcome.”
The former president quickly shot down the scandal.
“He wanted to make sure that there was a denial of any kind of relationship,” Hicks said according to The Guardian.
Prosecutors summoned her to the witness stand to bolster their case that Trump engaged in illegal activities to influence the 2016 election by concealing information about his personal life.
Hicks, however, said she believed his actions were to protect his family.
“I don’t think he wanted anyone in his family to be hurt or embarrassed by anything that was happening on the campaign trail. He wanted them to be proud of him,” she said according to CNN.
When the Wall Street Journal published a story revealing ex-Playboy Model Karen McDougal’s affair allegations right before the election, Hicks claimed that Trump was worried about his wife seeing the paper.
“He wanted me to make sure that the newspapers were [not] delivered to their residence that morning,” Hicks said, according to The Guardian.
Hicks had a hard time taking the stand on Friday, taking a deep breath when she spoke into the microphone and expressed with a quivering voice that she was “really nervous,” according to AP.
Later, she broke out in tears, forcing the court to take a short break.
Another piece of evidence presented this week was a recording between Trump and lawyer Michael Cohen allegedly talking about paying hush money to a former Playboy model.
Testimony will resume on Monday.
The trial could last another month or more as important witnesses including Cohen and Daniels have yet to take the stand.
The White House official recalled that she knew the tape would be a big story as soon as she heard about itCredit: Getty
Hicks also told the jury that the former president was worried his wife would see the headlines and asked her to make sure the newspaper wasn’t delivered that dayCredit: Reuters
Trump pleaded guilty and continues to deny any wrongdoingCredit: Getty
Testimonies will resume on Monday as the trial pushes onCredit: Reuters