A former top aide to Donald Trump, Hope Hicks, testified on Friday saying that Trump instructed her to deny any sexual relationship with porn star Stormy Daniels in the final days of the 2016 presidential election.
Hicks’ testimony provided insight into the campaign’s efforts to manage allegations of Trump’s sexual behaviour as the election neared its conclusion.
Trump faces charges of falsifying business records to cover up a $130,000 payment made to Daniels, who threatened to go public with her account of a 2006 sexual encounter with Trump.
According to Hicks, Trump expressed concern about the potential impact of the story on his wife, Melania, and instructed Hicks to ensure that newspapers carrying the story were not delivered to their residence.
Prosecutors argue that the payment to Daniels constituted a violation of election and tax laws, potentially influencing voters’ decisions.
Hicks’ testimony suggested that Trump’s motivation for the payment was to protect his marriage rather than to influence voters. She stated that Trump characterised his personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, as acting out of kindness in making the payment, a characterisation she found inconsistent with her perception of Cohen’s character.
During her testimony, Hicks became emotional briefly. Trump, who is running for president again this year as a Republican candidate, remained impassive during her testimony.
Hicks also addressed Trump’s reaction to the release of an audio recording from the “Access Hollywood” TV show, in which Trump made lewd comments about women. She described Trump as upset but downplayed the remarks as “locker-room talk.”
The trial has yet to hear from key figures such as Stormy Daniels and Michael Cohen. Trump, despite a gag order barring him from commenting on the case, has expressed a desire to testify. The case, which involves allegations of adultery and secret payments, is viewed as less significant than other criminal prosecutions facing Trump but could still impact his presidential aspirations.
Ozioma Samuel-Ugwuezi
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