Hope Hicks, former Trump aide, testifies he told her Michael Cohen paid Stormy Daniels without his knowledge

Former President Donald Trump told White House aide Hope Hicks that his personal attorney Michael Cohen had paid off adult film star Stormy Daniels “out of the kindness of his heart,” and without Trump's knowledge, Hicks testified Friday at Trump's hush money trial.

Hicks, on the stand at the end of the second week of testimony in Trump's historic criminal trial, recalled that Trump had initially denied any payment, as did Cohen, a Lawrence native. But months later, when Cohen gave a public statement admitting he made the $130,000 payment to Daniels — and said he did so without telling Trump — the then-president confided in Hicks, she said.

“He said Michael had paid this woman to protect him from a false allegation” of a sexual encounter with Trump, Hicks testified after spending much of Friday on the witness stand of the Manhattan courthouse in key testimony for the prosecution. “That he made this payment and he didn’t tell anyone. And he did it out of the kindness of his heart and out of obligation. … He said he was appreciative of the loyalty.”

Hicks, under questioning by prosecutor Michael Colangelo, said she didn't quite buy the story.

“I would say it would be out of character for Michael,” Hicks said. “I didn’t know Michael to be an especially charitable person or a selfless person. He’s the kind of person who seeks credit.”

Hicks, 35, who was White House communications director and press secretary under Trump and now works as a strategic communications consultant, took the stand under subpoena at the end of the second week of testimony in Trump's trial. While her testimony bolstered the prosecution's contention that Trump was aware of the hush money payment when he falsified business records to conceal it, to help his chances at winning the 2016 presidential election, she also made statements that helped the defense.

Hicks, who worked closely with Trump for years, suddenly became emotional at the outset of cross-examination, when asked about Trump creating a job for her many years earlier at the Trump Organization, his Manhattan real estate company. State Supreme Court Justice Juan M. Merchan briefly paused testimony after Hicks began crying and dabbed her eye with a tissue.

Hicks expressed disdain for Cohen, supporting the defense contention that Cohen acted independently.

“I used to say that he liked to call himself a fixer or 'Mr. Fix-it' and I would say, because he first broke it,” said Hicks, who said Cohen often frustrated campaign staff.

Earlier, Hicks had also described for the jury how Trump was upset and “a little stunned” when The Washington Post asked his presidential campaign for comment in October 2016 on the “Access Hollywood” recording of Trump discussing groping women.

“He said that didn’t sound like something that he would say,” Hicks said.

She said she interrupted Trump's debate preparation with a cadre of aides and advisers, including his son-in-law Jared Kushner and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, on the 26th floor of Trump Tower to alert Trump that a Post reporter had emailed her a transcript of the recording in a request for comment.

Trump's reaction was “a little stunned,” said Hicks, who said she assessed it as “a damaging development. … There was consensus among us all that the tape was damaging and this was a crisis.”

Hicks' recollection of the fallout from the “Access Hollywood” tape provided the prosecution's backdrop to what was happening prior to Trump allegedly directing the hush money be paid to Daniels.

After the tape went public about a month before voters were set to cast their ballots, there was intense media coverage, Hicks testified. And scores of his fellow Republican officials denounced Trump, as evidenced by a slew of written statements from officials such as then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, that Colangelo showed to Hicks while she testified.

Prosecutors say Trump falsified business records in processing the hush money payment by describing it as “legal services” in official paperwork for the Trump Organization, Trump's real estate company, to protect his chances at winning the 2016 presidential election. He faces a maximum of four years in prison if convicted.

Hicks described her initial political naiveté while working for the Trump Organization when Trump began his presidential campaign, in earnest, in January 2015.
“Mr. Trump one day said we’re going to Iowa and I didn’t understand why,” Hicks said. “And after that day I began to understand that he was running for president.”

She eventually became the press secretary for Trump's successful 2016 presidential campaign in which he bested Hillary Clinton.

But in a series of compliments she paid to her former boss while testifying, Hicks said Trump was the brains behind their communication shop, which was just the two of them.
“No, it was just me and Mr. Trump, who is better than anyone else with communications and branding,” said Hicks, gently laughing as she spoke.

And the campaign's press strategy?

“Mr. Trump was responsible,” Hicks said. “He knew what he wanted to say and how he wanted to say it. He took the lead. So he deserves the credit for the messages on the campaign.”

Prosecutors have also said Karen McDougal, a former Playboy model who has alleged she had an affair with Trump, was paid $150,000 in hush money.

A few weeks after the Access Hollywood tape became public, the Trump campaign had a new problem, Hicks testified.

On Nov. 4, 2016, Hicks received an inquiry from a Wall Street Journal reporter about an alleged scheme that involved the National Enquirer buying negative stories about Trump detailing affairs with Daniels and McDougal and burying them, what prosecutors have called a “catch and kill.”

“I think it outlined that there was a woman … McDougal, that there was a story purchased by the National Enquirer, but it was never published, asking if we knew anything about that,” said Hicks, describing the email from a WSJ reporter seeking comment.

She was just landing in Ohio with the campaign for a rally and she alerted Trump, she said. She also forwarded the email to then-senior adviser Jared Kushner, who “had a good relationship with Rupert Murdoch and I was hoping that we could buy a little extra time.” Murdoch, through his company News Corp., owns the Wall Street Journal. Kushner told her he wouldn't be able to reach Murdoch.

Hicks said she next called David Pecker, the former publisher of the National Enquirer, who she said was “friends” with Trump.

Pecker previously testified at the trial that he approved deals to “catch and kill” the stories of McDougal and Daniels to avoid hurting Trump's presidential campaign.

“There was a reason that I called Mr. Pecker next,” Hicks said. “He feigned that he didn’t know what I was talking about and I was trying to get more information. … I asked what was going on. Why was I receiving this email. He explained that Karen McDougal was paid for magazine covers and fitness column and it was all very legitimate.”

Hicks said she drafted a response, denying the allegations. On a conference call with Trump, Cohen and Pecker, Hicks said Trump changed the statement to say “that they were totally untrue and we didn’t know anything about that deal.”

After the story published, Hicks and Cohen texted, according to messages displayed for the jury.
Cohen wrote: “Lots of innuendo with little fact. I don’t see it getting much play”

Hicks replied: “I agree.”

Cohen noted in another text: “Story is getting little to no traction”

Hicks replied that she agreed, adding, “Keep praying. It’s working.”

Cohen was almost celebratory in another text: “Even CNN is not talking about it. No one believes it and if necessary, I have a statement by Stormy denying everything and contradicting the other porn star's statement. I wouldn’t use it now or even discuss with him as no one is talking about this or cares?"

Hicks agreed and explained to the jury: “The election was taking place in three days, we were doing a lot of rallies. We were doing a lot. This story wasn’t consuming the news cycle. I was hoping that we would blow past it and keep going.”

Trump, according to Hicks, was concerned about his wife Melania’s reaction, which could offer the defense an alternative motive, outside of the election, for Trump to direct the payment.

“He wanted me to make sure that the newspapers weren’t delivered to his home that morning,” Hicks said.

Meanwhile, Trump paid a $9,000 fine for being held in contempt for violating a gag order imposed by Merchan by making public statements about witnesses or the jury in the case. .