Former aide Hope Hicks testified at Donald Trump’s Manhattan criminal trial on Friday, revealing that Trump tried to prevent newspapers containing allegations of extramarital affairs from being delivered to his home to avoid angering his wife Melania. Hicks, who worked for Trump during his 2016 campaign and in the White House, described how she was instructed to keep copies of the Wall Street Journal, which detailed “hush money” payments to a Playboy model and porn actor, away from Melania.
Trump was concerned about how the story would be perceived by his wife, especially as it was published just days before the 2016 election where he defeated Hillary Clinton. Hicks also mentioned that Trump wanted to know how the stories were being received by the public.
This testimony came during the third week of the trial where Trump is accused of covering up payments made to silence Stormy Daniels, a porn actor who alleged a brief extramarital affair with him in 2006. Hicks also discussed the impact of the infamous Access Hollywood video, where Trump was heard making derogatory comments about women, on his election campaign.
The prosecution called Hicks to demonstrate Trump’s efforts to prevent negative publicity during the election. The judge overseeing the case, Juan Merchan, addressed Trump directly, asserting his right to testify in his defense despite previous claims of a gag order preventing him from doing so.
Trump was fined $9,000 for violating the gag order and could face jail time if he continues to disregard it. Despite these legal challenges, Trump remains defiant, stating his intention to challenge the constitutionality of the gag order.