Hope Hicks, a longtime trusted aide in Donald Trump’s inner circle, is testifying in the New York hush money trial after being subpoenaed. Hicks, who served as Trump’s press secretary during the campaign, could shed light on the events leading up to the 2016 election, specifically relating to the alleged hush money payments made by Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen, to adult film star Stormy Daniels. Trump has denied the affair and has been charged with falsifying business records to hide the true nature of these payments. Hicks has a long history with Trump, starting with her time at the Trump Organization and was one of the first staffers to join his 2016 campaign.
Hicks’ loyalty to Trump has at times put her under scrutiny, with her admitting to occasionally telling white lies on behalf of Trump during her 2018 testimony before the House Intelligence Committee. After facing backlash for her testimony and her relationship with another White House staffer accused of domestic abuse, Hicks left the White House but later returned in 2020 ahead of Trump’s reelection campaign. However, she reportedly received pushback for not believing that the election had been stolen, according to various books about the final months of the Trump administration.
In October 2022, Hicks testified before the House select committee investigating the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot, revealing conversations she had with Trump regarding his baseless claims of election fraud. She expressed concern about damaging Trump’s legacy, but Trump allegedly prioritized winning over everything else. Hicks has since been running a small consulting shop focused on communications for global clients, including fashion retailer Shein. The current case against Trump revolves around the alleged scheme to falsify company records to hide a $130,000 payment to Daniels to buy her silence.
The case alleges that Cohen was directed by Trump to make these payments to influence the election, which Trump has denied knowledge of. Federal search warrants released in 2019 showed a scramble within the Trump campaign to suppress additional allegations of a sexual nature after the “Access Hollywood” tape surfaced in 2016. Hicks was involved in multiple conversations with Cohen and AMI executives on that day but stated that she first learned of the allegations made by Daniels in November, a month later. Although Hicks has not been accused of involvement in the alleged scheme, there have been concerns about inconsistencies between her testimony and unsealed evidence.
After the release of the warrants, Hicks was asked to clarify her testimony before the House Judiciary Committee, as there were apparent inconsistencies regarding the telephone calls she had with Cohen. Her attorneys responded, stating that Hicks stood by her testimony and that the phone calls with Cohen were not related to payments to Stormy Daniels. The material in the warrants only documented a chronology of the calls without details of their contents. Hicks has not been directly implicated in the hush money scandal, and her consulting work continues with various global clients. The trial continues to unveil details about the events leading up to the 2016 election and the alleged efforts to hide payments to Daniels.
