Hope Hicks, a former close aide to Donald Trump, testified in his New York criminal hush money trial on May 3, 2024. Hicks, who served as Trump’s press secretary, provided insights into the internal panic that gripped Trump’s campaign team following the release of a tape in which Trump was heard making derogatory comments about women. This incident, according to Hicks, posed a significant threat to Trump’s presidential campaign.

During her testimony, Hicks revealed that she was involved in the management of damaging information, specifically coordinating efforts to bury negative stories that could have impacted Trump’s chances during the election. The trial itself centers on accusations that Trump, along with his associates, engaged in a scheme to silence allegations of sexual liaisons by falsifying business records, thus concealing the nature of payments made to suppress these claims.

On the same day, former President Donald Trump addressed reporters outside a Manhattan courthouse, claiming that a gag order imposed on him unjustly prevents him from testifying in his defense. However, legal experts clarified that the gag order only restricts Trump from publicly commenting on the trial and does not affect his legal right to provide testimony. Despite Trump’s assertions and his intention to appeal the gag order, Judge Merchan has continuously fined and warned him against multiple violations of the order, totalling 13 noted breaches. The judge also warned of potential imprisonment if Trump continually defies the court’s directives.