Donald Trump's former communications director Hope Hicks testified Friday at his hush-money trial of the "crisis" his infamous "Access Hollywood" tape presented to his 2016 presidential campaign just weeks before the election.
Trump boasted off camera on the 2005 tape about his celebrity in his "Apprentice" reality series, and what that meant he could do to women.
"When you're a star, they let you do it. You can do anything. ... Grab 'em by the p---- [genitals]," he bragged. "You can do anything."
Trump did not deny the tape after it was released, but merely dismissed his words as "locker room talk."
But Hicks, who was the top press aide in the Trump's campaign at the time, testified that the tape was a "damaging development ... it was a crisis" for the campaign. She testified that she was a "little stunned" by it
"This was pulling us backwards in a way that was going to be hard to overcome," she told jurors, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Hicks, who broke down in tears at one point when asked about her role in the Trump administration, said that she first learned of the tapes in an email from a reporter from the Washington Post, which was the first to reveal them. She was provided with a transcript of what Trump said, but was not given a copy of the tape, she said.
"I was concerned. I was concerned about the contents of the email," she said. "I was concerned about the lack of time to respond." She recommended at the time to Trump's team "deny, deny, deny" whenever asked about the tape.
Her testimony underscored the pressure Trump was under because of the tape — particularly concerning his relationship with women.
A day after the tape was released Stormy Daniels' attorney contacted National Enquirer publisher David Pecker that Daniels was going to come forward with a story claiming she had sex with Trump in 2006, noted CBS News.
Trump's attorney at the time, Michael Cohen, eventually paid Daniels $130,000 for her silence.
The prosecution has raised the "Access Hollywood" tape as major factor behinds Trump's alleged decision to pay off Daniels and save his campaign from further damage.
Trump is charged with 34 felony counts of falsifying business record in the Daniels payoff in a bid to hide damaging information from voters.
Hicks also praised Trump in her testimoney, describing him as a "very good multitasker" and "a very hard worker."
