Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign was thrown into turmoil when a tape was released of him boasting about sexually assaulting women without their consent. This revelation, which came just days before a crucial debate with Hillary Clinton, caused panic within the campaign and led to a series of events that are now being brought to light in his current hush money trial.
Hope Hicks, a former White House official and longtime Trump adviser, was called to testify in the trial by prosecutors. Through her testimony, they hope to prove that the controversy surrounding the infamous “Access Hollywood” tape prompted Trump’s then-lawyer to pay off porn actor Stormy Daniels in order to prevent a potentially damaging story from surfacing during his 2016 presidential bid.
Hicks, who was once one of Trump’s closest confidants, provided a glimpse into the chaotic aftermath of the tape’s release. She described being shocked and huddling with other Trump advisers after learning about the tape from a Washington Post reporter. Hicks forwarded the reporter’s request to campaign leadership with the recommendation to “deny, deny, deny,” reflecting the campaign’s strategy to downplay and deflect the negative story.
“It was clear to me that this was going to be a major story and that it would dominate the news cycle for the next few days,” Hicks testified. “This was a damaging development that would set us back in a way that would be hard to overcome.”
She added, “It was like taking one step forward and then being pulled back by this damaging revelation.”
Hicks’ testimony was used by prosecutors to strengthen their argument that Trump worked to suppress damaging stories about his personal life in order to influence the 2016 presidential election. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has emphasized the significance of this case, not only to secure a conviction but also to show the public the gravity of the situation. This may be the only one of four Trump prosecutions to reach trial this year.
Trump has continuously denied any wrongdoing and has called the trial an attempt to sabotage his chances of winning the White House in November. The defense has argued that Trump’s actions were not meant to protect his campaign, but rather his reputation and family.
Under questioning by Trump’s lawyer, Hicks testified that Trump was primarily concerned about the impact of the tape on his family. “I don’t think he wanted anyone in his family to be hurt or embarrassed by anything happening in the campaign,” she said.
Hicks’ close relationship with Trump over the years has made her a person of interest to both congressional and criminal investigators. She has been called to testify on multiple occasions, with topics ranging from Russian election interference to Trump’s election loss and the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021.
It was evident that Hicks was not comfortable being in the courtroom, as she took a deep breath before stepping up to the microphone. She later became emotional when Trump’s lawyer asked her to reflect on her time at the Trump Organization before joining his 2016 campaign.
During her testimony, Hicks referred to her former boss as “Mr. Trump” and revealed that the last time she communicated with him was in the summer or fall of 2020. Although she is no longer in Trump’s inner circle, Hicks spoke highly of the former president when the prosecutor asked her about her background.
She recalled how the release of the tape caused such a media frenzy that it pushed a Category 4 hurricane out of the headlines. The hurricane, named Matthew, was on its way to the East Coast but was overshadowed by the scandal surrounding the tape.
“I don’t think anyone remembers where that hurricane hit,” Hicks noted.
Hurricane Matthew made landfall in South Carolina as a Category 1 storm on October 8, the day after the “Access Hollywood” tape was made public.
In the wake of the tape’s release, Hicks asked Trump’s attorney Michael Cohen to investigate a rumor about another potentially damaging tape. She wanted to be proactive and address the issue before it could catch the campaign off guard. However, in the end, there was no such tape.
Just four days before the 2016 election, Hicks received a request for comment from a Wall Street Journal reporter about an upcoming story on American Media Inc. buying the rights to former Playboy model Karen McDougal’s story of her alleged affair with Trump. Trump has denied these allegations.
Hicks reached out to Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, in hopes that he could use his connections with Rupert Murdoch, the owner of
