May 4th 2024.
Hope Hicks, a trusted aide who was once a part of Donald Trump's inner circle for a long time, recently testified in the New York hush money trial after being subpoenaed. As she took the stand, she nervously looked at the jury and seemed visibly uncomfortable. Trump's counsellor Kellyanne Conway also appeared before the grand jury last year before Trump was indicted.
Hicks, who served as Trump's press secretary during his campaign, could potentially provide insight into what was happening within the political operation in the final weeks leading up to the 2016 election. This is in regards to the allegations made by Michael Cohen, Trump's former lawyer, that he paid off adult film star Stormy Daniels to keep quiet about an alleged affair that Trump was worried would harm his presidential campaign. Cohen claims that Trump reimbursed him for these payments after taking office, and has since been charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records to cover up the true nature of these transactions. However, Trump has pleaded not guilty and denied the affair.
Hicks has a long-standing history with Trump, starting from her time working in communications for the Trump Organization. She was one of the first staffers to join his 2016 campaign and eventually rose to become White House communication director during his presidency. Despite the frequent departures of White House staffers, Hicks remained one of the longest-serving aides due to her loyalty towards Trump. In fact, the former president even gave her the nickname "Hopey."
Having such a close relationship with Trump often put Hicks under the media's scrutiny. She previously testified in 2018 before the House Intelligence Committee about Russian interference in the 2016 election. According to a source with direct knowledge of her testimony, Hicks admitted to occasionally telling white lies on Trump's behalf. She also faced criticism for her relationship with Rob Porter, Trump's former staff secretary who was accused of domestic abuse. This ultimately led to her decision to leave the White House and join Fox News as chief communications officer. Porter denied the allegations and resigned.
Hicks returned to the White House in March 2020 to assist with Trump's reelection effort. However, she was met with pushback for not believing that the election had been stolen, as reported in several books about the final months of the Trump administration. According to one of these books, "The Divider: Trump in the White House, 2017-2021," Trump was quoted as saying, "Well, Hope doesn't believe in me." Hicks replied, "No, I don't. Nobody's convinced me otherwise."
In October 2022, Hicks testified before the House select committee investigating the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot. In a video clip played by the committee, Hicks shared details of a conversation she had with Trump after the election regarding his baseless claims of election fraud. She expressed her concern that these claims were damaging his legacy, to which Trump responded, "Nobody will care about my legacy if I lose, so that won't matter. The only thing that matters is winning."
Recently, it was reported that Hicks has been running a small consulting shop that provides communications services to various global clients, including fashion retailer Shein. When asked for a comment on this story, Hicks' attorney did not respond.
Hope Hicks, who was once a close and trusted aide in Donald Trump's inner circle, recently testified in the New York trial involving hush money payments. Hicks, who had been subpoenaed, expressed her nerves while looking at the jury and appeared visibly uncomfortable after taking the stand. Last year, she also appeared before the grand jury along with Trump's counselor Kellyanne Conway, before Trump was indicted.
Hicks, who had served as Trump's press secretary during his campaign, may have valuable insights into the political operations leading up to the 2016 election. This includes the alleged payment of hush money to adult film star Stormy Daniels, in order to keep quiet about an alleged affair that Trump feared would hurt his chances of winning the presidency. Trump has been charged with falsifying business records in relation to these payments and has pleaded not guilty, denying the affair.
Having worked closely with Trump for many years, Hicks has a long history with the former president. She first worked for the Trump Organization in communications and was one of the earliest members of his 2016 campaign team. During Trump's presidency, Hicks rose in the ranks to become the White House communication director, making her one of the longest-serving aides in an administration marked by frequent personnel changes. Known for her loyalty to Trump, he even gave her the nickname "Hopey."
However, Hicks' close association with Trump has also made her a subject of media scrutiny. In 2018, she testified before the House Intelligence Committee about Russian interference in the 2016 election and admitted to occasionally telling white lies on Trump's behalf. She also faced criticism for her relationship with Rob Porter, Trump's former staff secretary who was accused of domestic abuse. After leaving the White House, Hicks joined Fox News as their chief communications officer, but eventually returned to the White House in March 2020 to work on Trump's reelection campaign.
However, Hicks faced pushback for not believing Trump's claims of election fraud, which were widely disputed. In a book about the final months of the Trump administration, it was reported that Trump had expressed his disappointment in Hicks, saying, "Well, Hope doesn't believe in me." Hicks responded, "No, I don't. Nobody's convinced me otherwise."
In October 2022, Hicks testified before the House select committee investigating the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot. In a video played by the committee, Hicks revealed a conversation she had with Trump after the election, where he expressed his disregard for his legacy and only cared about winning. Despite this, Hicks testified that she was concerned about the damage being done to Trump's legacy by his baseless claims of election fraud.
According to reports, Hicks has been running a small consulting shop, working with various global clients including fashion retailer Shein. Her attorney did not respond to requests for comment on this story.
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