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| Source:CNN covering Donald Trump's longtime assistant Hope Hick's testimony. |
"Hope Hicks, once considered one of Donald Trump’s closest confidantes and most trusted aides, is questioned by prosecutor Matthew Colangelo about her role as Trump’s press secretary during the 2016 campaign and the release of the “Access Hollywood” tape in the months before the election."
From CNN
‘This was a crisis’: Hope Hicks testifies about Trump campaign response to Access Hollywood tape
Donald Trump’s former communications director testifies that the 2016 campaign wasn’t sure how to respond to Access Hollywood tape, ‘everyone was still absorbing the shock’
Trump trial continues with judge dismissing claims that ex-president can’t testify
Hugo Lowell: "Prosecutors elicited from Hope Hicks just how bad the Trump 2016 campaign viewed the Access Hollywood tape, as they tee up their case that after that story broke, the campaign needed to suppress any further negative stories about Trump and women."
While Hope Hicks cut a nervous figure as she took the witness stand Friday, the former top Trump aide seemed to appreciate the absurdity of this situation.
The prosecutor asked Hicks about text messages she exchanged with Michael Cohen after the Wall Street Journal published an article describing how AMI bought stories about Karen McDougal and Stormy Daniels, and then opted out of publishing them; this report ran on 4 November 2016.
When she read Cohen’s missive about the article, where he called it “poorly written and I dot see it getting much play,” Hicks chuckled. “A little irony there,” she said, again laughing softly. “ I said I agree with that.”
From The Guardian
As my colleague Kire Schneider pointed out about this last week:
"They show that he had an affair with Stormy Daniels and perhaps Karen McDougal as well, but that he not just tried to cover up those affairs with hush money.
And not just try to prevent his wife Melania and his son Barron from finding out about these affairs, but to prevent the voters, especially Independents, as well as Republican college educated, urban and suburban women from finding out about these affairs, before they voted in 2016
As well as covered up these affairs and did that with illegal political contributions to his his own 2016 presidential campaign, that he didn't even report, which is another crime in New York
They can convict Defendant Don of election interference as well, which is a felony in New York.
And this David Pecker-Michael Cohen link with the hush money payments is a direct way to move the ball down that road."
From The New Democrat
As my colleague Kire Schneider pointed out about this on Tuesday:
"So according to the Meidas Touch, (at least) Hope Hicks not only knew about the adulterous affairs that Donald Trump had with both Stephanie Clifford (perhaps better known as Stormy Daniels) and Karen McDougal. And perhaps was in on setting up the payoffs to both women to keep them both quiet before the 2016 presidential election.
If that's true, they now have two credible witnesses before they get to McDougal and Clifford, that these affairs not just happened, the women were not just paid off, but paid off to keep them quiet before the 2016 presidential election. And if that's the case, they now have him on two felonies. And you just need the paperwork, the bank records, the phone calls, texts, emails, etc, to prove this story."
From The New Democrat
As my colleague Kire Schneider pointed out about this yesterday:
"We already now know that the payoffs not just happened from Donald J. Trump to Stephanie Clifford (perhaps better known as Stormy Daniels) and Karen McDougal, but that Donald Trump knew about them, and they were done to prevent the women from coming out with their stories right before the 2016 elections. And it's not just David Pecker who exposed that evidence, (pun intended) but Keith Davidson this week, as well as Hope Hicks being a key witness to this illegal scheme. Now it's just a matter of proving that DJT had these affairs in the 1st place with Clifford and McDougal."
From The New Democrat
As Kire I believe already talked about and even mentioned this, Hope Hicks establishes that the Trump Campaign in 2016, including herself, were focused on not just how the Access Hollywood tape would affect their campaign, perhaps especially with Independents and Republican women. But also how the alleged affairs with Stephanie Clifford (also known as Stormy Daniels) and Karen McDougal would affect their campaign as well. Not how this affects Donald Trump's wife and son. Which really is the only reason why these payoffs were made. And I'm sure Donald didn't want Melania leaving him before the election that year. But that just might be a guess on my part.
I was watching CNN's late coverage of this trial last night. And at least one of their lawyers, I think including Ellie Honig was arguing that the prosecution doesn't need to establish that the affairs even happened. Just the payoffs and coverups. But as New York defense attorney Arthur Aidala (whose no fan of this case) argued the defense can argue that Donald Trump was being extorted by Keith Davidson and his two female clients. If they establish that the affairs actually happened and can prove that, there goes the defense's only good argument, that their client was being extorted by Davidson, Clifford, and McDougal.
"Judge Juan Merchan began day 11 of Donald Trump’s hush money trial by correcting the former president. The previous day Trump claimed the gag order prevented him from testifying, but that is not true. Judge Merchan reiterated in court that Trump has the absolute right to testify if he chooses."
Anderson Cooper said last night that Donald Trump was just trying to lay the groundwork for why he won't be testifying in his own trial. And he's basically just lying right now (unless he never took social studies and law at any point in school, or has slept his way though all his court cases) about not being allowed to testify. As New York defense attorney Arthur Aidala also said last night, we learn in grade school that we all have a constitutional right to participate in our own criminal defense and testify on our own behalf.
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