Trump waves to supporters while riding away from court: exclusive photos
By Kaydi PelletierThat Friday feeling.




A “really nervous” Hope Hicks, who served as Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign press secretary and one of his closest White House aides, broke down in tears as she testified Friday in the criminal “hush money” trial against him in Manhattan.
The former president and presumptive 2024 GOP nominee has pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records related to a $130,000 payment made to porn star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election.
This live blog has ended.
That Friday feeling.Trump waves to supporters while riding away from court: exclusive photos
By Kaydi Pelletier 



Hope Hicks leaves court after emotional testimony: exclusive photos
By Kaydi Pelletier 

Leaving court just now, Trump railed against Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg and the Department of Justice:
"They've been after us for years — Democrats, the radical left — they've destroyed people's lives.

"It's a shame what they've done to this country. ... These are vicious, vicious radical left lunatics. ... In the meantime the country's going to hell."
He cited the border crisis, inflation, Afghanistan, and Russia's war in Ukraine, saying it "never would have happened," seemingly meaning if he was in office.
"I was very interested in what happened today," Trump said of watching one of his closest White House aides, Hope Hicks, testify.
Donald Trump's hush money trial wrapped up early Friday as jurors were excused after Hope Hicks finished testifying.
The trial resumes Monday at 9:30 a.m.
Hope Hicks wrapped up her testimony Friday afternoon. As she exited the courtroom, it didn't appear that she made eye contact with Donald Trump.
Hope Hicks testified that Donald Trump "really values" wife Melania's opinion and that what she thinks can be "really meaningful" to him — which is why he didn't want the Wall Street Journal to get delivered to his home.
“He really values – President Trump really values Mrs. Trump’s opinion. She doesn’t weigh in all the time, but when she does, it’s really meaningful," Hicks said, responding to a question by Trump attorney Emil Bove, who asked her about the couple's relationship.
"He really respects what she has to say. I think his concern was what her perception would be. I knew that was weighing on him.”
Hicks then added that Trump didn't want anyone from his family to "be hurt" by stories that were "going on in his campaign."
Hope Hicks testified that Michael Cohen's reputation as a "fixer" is because he's usually cleaning up his own mess.
“He liked to call himself a fixer, or Mr. Fix It," Hicks said. "It’s only because he first broke it so he could fix it.”
Her response, under cross-examination by Donald Trump's attorneys, drew a few chuckles inside the courtroom.

Hope Hicks resumed testifying Friday afternoon after breaking down in tears at the beginning of cross-examination by Donald Trump attorney Emil Bove.

Hope Hicks began crying on the witness stand as Donald Trump's attorney Emil Bove started cross-examination by saying, "I want to talk to you about your time at the Trump Organization."
The judge then asked her if she needed a moment, and Hicks responded in a broken tone, "Uh, yes, please."
She used a tissue and wiped her right eye as the jurors were being excused.
Donald Trump attorney Emil Bove has started on cross examination with Hope Hicks still on the stand.
Donald Trump was "concerned" about how a Wall Street Journal story about Playboy model Karen McDougal and porn star Stormy Daniels would be perceived by his wife, Melania, Hope Hicks testified Friday — adding that Trump wanted to "make sure" that the newspapers weren't delivered to his home the morning the story was published.

"He was concerned about the story. He was concerned how it would be viewed by his wife," Hicks said, referring to Melania.
"And he wanted to make sure the newspapers weren't delivered to his residence that morning."
Hope Hicks is reading through text messages she had with Michael Cohen on Nov. 4, 2016 — the day the Wall Street Journal published a story about Karen McDougal and Stormy Daniels.
The exchange shows Hicks' and Cohen's communications on the day the story dropped, including one text by Cohen critiquing the story with a funny typo.

“Poorly written and I dot seeing it get much play,” Cohen said in one text sent to Hicks, with "dot" meaning "don't."
Hicks testified that "there’s just a little irony there" after reading the text aloud in court.
Other texts from Cohen included: “Call me," "Any news," and “Any news???”
Hicks said the Wall Street Journal story didn't get "any traction" despite initial fears.