In the hush money trial of former President Donald Trump, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s witness against him “backfired spectacularly,” according to Fox News legal analyst and commentator Gregg Jarrett. Trump, the presumptive 2024 Republican presidential nominee, became the first former president in U.S. history to stand trial in a criminal case last month. Following an investigation by Bragg’s office, Trump was indicted in March 2023 on charges of allegedly falsifying business records relating to hush money payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels during his 2016 presidential campaign. Daniels alleges that she had an affair with Trump in 2006, which he has denied. Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges and said the case against him is politically motivated.
Hope Hicks, who served as a senior White House adviser during the Trump administration, took the stand to testify, which saw her crying at one point, on her recollections regarding the accusations. Most notably, she discussed Trump’s reaction when a story detailing his alleged affairs with Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal broke. She said that Trump wanted his family to be proud of him and that the allegations from McDougal and Daniels were “absolutely” very personal to Trump.
While on the witness stand, Hicks explained that she doesn’t have a current professional relationship with Trump and they have not communicated since the summer or fall of 2022. In a Fox News opinion column published Saturday, “NY vs. Trump: Bragg’s own witness, Hope Hicks, implodes case against Trump,” Jarrett, a former defense attorney and author known for his pro-Trump stances, discussed Hicks’ testimony.
The account by Hicks demolishes District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s primary claim against Trump that he paid porn star Stormy Daniels for her silence with the intent to benefit his campaign and, thereby, influence the election by ‘unlawful means.’ It nicely corroborates the findings of a federal investigation that no crimes were committed, or campaign finance laws broken because there was another purpose for the non-disclosure agreement that Daniels signed.
However, prosecutors have continued to suggest the hush money payment was part of an unlawful attempt to influence the outcome of the 2016 presidential race and not in an effort to save Trump’s marriage. Newsweek has reached out to Bragg’s office and Trump’s spokesperson via email for comment.