Donald Trump's former top aide, Hope Hicks, is expected to testify in his Manhattan hush money trial in the coming weeks, and analysts are anticipating the bombs of information she'll drop.
Speaking as part of the Wednesday panel with MSNBC's Nicolle Wallace, campaign reporter Vaughn Hillyard recalled Hicks' testimony to the House committee that investigated the Russia scandal.
"She had to acknowledge when she went and spoke to the congressional committee investigating the Russian problem, she acknowledges that she told white lies for Donald Trump. Those were her own words," said Hillyard.
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When that story became public, Hicks announced her resignation from the White House.
He described Hicks as kind of "omni-present" but said she is not like Trump's lawyer Alina Habba.
She certainly was never like some of the press secretaries who would "go toe to toe with the press or pick up the phone and yell and scream at you," he said.
Former federal prosecutor Harry Litman agreed, explaining that Trump's personal assistant, Rhona Graff, testified very quickly compared to other witnesses. Hicks will be a different matter.
"She was there just to get the context — I mean, she was there for everything. If they are relying on Hope Hicks, and every indication is that they are, she's going to be a strong witness," Litman explained.
Hicks "was the quiet person that commanded the respect of Donald Trump, and therefore, you showed her that sort of respect in return," said Hillyard.
Unlike other former Trump staff like Sarah Matthews, Alyssa Farah Griffin, and Cassidy Hutchinson, Hicks hasn't had a public break with Trump where she came to testify, Hillyard explained.
When Hicks testified before the House committee investigating the Russia scheme, she was "steered away from answering questions 155 times," The Guardian reported in 2019.
"They went before the Jan. 6 committee in a different capacity than Hope Hicks did. And the moment was on them to speak their truth," Hillyard continued. "They broke with him. And under that pressure, that decision was made. That pressure point was not on her in the same type of way. This is that moment for her, that she was able to avoid, because she left the White House earlier."
Wallace confessed she'd forgotten the testimony from Hicks where she admitted to lying for Trump.
See the full panel discussion below or at the link.
- YouTube youtu.be
