In Donald Trump’s criminal hush money trial, his attorneys are focusing on discrediting key witnesses to weaken the prosecution’s case. A major part of Trump’s defense strategy involves challenging the credibility of former lawyer Michael Cohen, but the defense also plans to question the truthfulness of other witnesses, including former White House communications director Hope Hicks.
The case involves 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to cover up a $130,000 hush money payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels, who alleges she had an affair with Trump in 2006. Trump and his legal team have criticized the Manhattan District Attorney, Alvin Bragg, over the indictment, arguing that the charges are politically motivated.
During Thursday’s court proceedings, the prosecution continued interviewing David Pecker, the former National Enquirer publisher. Pecker is a key witness due to his role in the “catch and kill” scheme designed to silence bad press about Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign. The scheme involved suppressing stories that could harm Trump’s public image.
Trump’s lawyer, Emil Bove, began cross-examining Pecker, questioning inconsistencies regarding whether Hicks attended a 2015 meeting at Trump Tower where Pecker allegedly agreed to help suppress negative stories about Trump. Bove pointed out that Pecker told federal prosecutors that Hicks wasn’t at the meeting, but informed state prosecutors that she was.
The defense’s strategy aims to demonstrate that Pecker may not be a reliable witness due to his immunity agreement with prosecutors, suggesting he might lie to protect himself or to sell more magazines. Furthermore, the defense seeks to prove that Pecker’s behavior wasn’t unique to Trump’s case, pointing out his involvement in similar “catch and kill” arrangements with other celebrities and politicians.
Hope Hicks, though not accused of any criminal activity, could face scrutiny due to inconsistent statements she made to Congress in June 2019. Although she testified she wasn’t present when Trump and Cohen discussed the Daniels case, other records indicate she spoke to both before negotiations to pay Daniels.
