Hope Hicks, a former trusted adviser and White House communications director for Donald J. Trump, has found herself at the center of the former president’s hush-money trial in a Lower Manhattan courtroom. Hicks, who initially joined Trump’s presidential campaign in 2015 with no political experience, rose through the ranks to become one of his most trusted advisors. However, their relationship soured after text messages emerged in 2022 showing that Hicks had been critical of Trump following the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol attack by his supporters. The two have not spoken since this incident.
In the hush-money trial, prosecutors allege that Michael D. Cohen, Trump’s personal lawyer, paid $130,000 to porn star Stormy Daniels to buy her silence about an alleged sexual encounter with Trump a decade earlier. Hicks, along with David Pecker, the then-publisher of the National Enquirer, participated in telephone calls, text messages, and emails with Cohen prior to the payment. After Pecker declined to pay Daniels, Cohen made the payment himself. Prosecutors claim that Trump falsified business records to cover up his reimbursement to Cohen. Hicks has been mentioned in previous witness testimonies, highlighting her involvement in the events surrounding the infamous “Access Hollywood” tape in late 2016.
During her testimony in court, Hicks recounted receiving an email about the “Access Hollywood” tape in October 2016, in which Trump bragged about groping women. She expressed concern about the contents of the email and the lack of time to respond, as well as the absence of the actual tape. Hicks also mentioned an email she had sent containing the directive to “deny, deny, deny,” which she described as a reflex. Throughout her career, Hicks has fiercely defended Trump, including denying knowledge of another hush-money payment made to Karen McDougal, a former Playboy model who claimed to have had an affair with Trump.
Hicks has spent most of her professional career working closely with Trump, starting at the Trump Organization before moving to his presidential campaign. She has also worked for Fox News and now works as a communications consultant. Despite her lack of political experience, Hicks quickly rose through the ranks due to her ability to understand and work effectively with Trump’s mercurial personality. Former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort praised Hicks for her understanding of Trump’s preferences, such as not disturbing him while he watched a golf tournament. Hicks’ testimony in the hush-money trial provides insight into her role in these controversial events and her loyalty to Trump throughout her time in his inner circle.
