Not that 'charitable': Hope Hicks testimony damages key Trump defense

MANHATTAN CRIMINAL COURT — Donald Trump's expected Manhattan criminal trial defense that his lawyer, Michael Cohen, acted on his own when he paid hush money to keep an affair quiet was pierced by an aide's testimony Friday.

Longtime Trump ally Hope Hicks' testimony seemingly shot the theory down.

Trump stands accused of creating false business records to cover up a $130,000 payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels, who alleges she had a one-night stand with the ex-president. Trump's lawyer took out a home loan to pay her, and Trump reimbursed him.

Lawfare's Anna Bower reported from the courtroom that both Hicks and Cohen were monitoring the news, fearful that Daniels' story would spread far and result in a lot of questions.

She remembered Cohen saying that the affair wasn't true, and no payment had been made. He then said he had a statement from Daniels denying that there was a "relationship" — a statement Daniels' lawyer, Keith Davidson, said Thursday he had carefully worded, noting that there was no "relationship," just a one-night stand.

"Sometime in the middle of February, Hicks spoke to Trump about a conversation Trump had with Cohen about the Daniels payment," Bower said on X. "It was after Cohen gave a statement saying he made the payment without Trump's knowledge."

Trump then told Hicks that Cohen only paid Daniels "to protect him" from the fake allegations. Trump claimed Cohen did it "out of the kindness of his heart, to protect [Trump]." He went on to call it "generous."

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Hope didn't buy it. Prosecutors asked if the $130,000 payment was the kind of thing Cohen did out of the kindness of his own heart. Was it "consistent with what you knew about Cohen?" they said.

"I didn't know Michael to be an especially charitable person or selfless person," Hicks said. "He's the kind of person who seeks credit" Her comment was met by laughs from public onlookers in the courtroom.

“He liked to call himself Mr. Fix-It, and it was only because he first broke it that he was able to fix it," Hicks said.

It was the final round of questions for Hicks from prosecutors Friday. At that point, Trump's lawyer, Emil Bove, jumped up and asked a question about how long Hicks had worked at the Trump Organization.

Hicks then burst into tears, and the court took a break, sending the jury from the room.

She barely looked at Trump, only glancing at him a few times. He, too, didn't appear to look at her — though he may have been watching on the monitor at his desk.

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