Former Donald Trump aide Hope Hicks was the key witness on the stand in the hush money criminal trial against the former president Friday.
Here's what happened and how Michael Cohen and the infamous "Access Hollywood" tape were also featured prominently in court.
What Happened: Hicks testified in court about her past professional relationship with Trump and also was asked many questions about the role former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen played in presidential campaigns.
Hicks said Cohen wasn't part of the 2016 Trump presidential campaign.
"No, he would try to insert himself at certain moments, but he wasn't supposed to be on the campaign in any official capacity," Hicks said, as shared by NBC News.
Hicks agreed that Cohen went rogue and said the former lawyer liked to call himself "Mr. Fix It" or a “fixer.”
"It was only because he first broke it."
Hicks testified that Cohen made a payment to Stormy Daniels without Trump knowing, and she had been told that Cohen did so to protect Trump.
"I'd say that would be out of character for Michael. I did not know Michael to be an especially charitable or selfless person; he is a kind of person who seeks credit," she said.
Hicks also testified Friday that she previously went to Jared Kushner, husband of Trump's daughter Ivanka, to try and get the Wall Street Journal to delay the publication of stories about Trump.
Cohen was the subject of testimony earlier in the day with witness Georgia Longstreet, who works for the New York District Attorney's Office, saying she reviewed Cohen's social media posts as part of the case.
Forensics expert Doug Daus of the DA's office also testified to Cohen's phone data and its reliability for the trial Friday.
Related Link: Trump To Appeal ‘Unconstitutional’ Gag Order, Fines: ‘I’m Not Allowed To Talk’
"Access Hollywood" Tape Factors In: The infamous "Access Hollywood" tape that was released publicly in October 2016, one month before the 2016 presidential election, was a key topic of discussion in court Friday.
Hicks said there was political fallout after the tape, with members of Congress speaking out against Trump at the time.
The former Trump aide said the coverage of the "Access Hollywood" tape was intense, adding that it pushed covering a Category 4 hurricane out of the news cycle by media companies.
"It was intense, it dominated coverage for, I would say, the 36 hours leading up to the debate," Hicks said.
Hicks said the tape was viewed as a damaging item to the campaign and could become a crisis.
Prior to hearing the audio of the tape and only seeing a transcript, Hicks said the strategy by her and the team was to "deny, deny, deny" what was on the tape.
Hicks also told the jury Friday that when Trump read the transcript of the "Access Hollywood" tape, he said, "That doesn't sound like something I would say."
The former Trump aide also said that the "Access Hollywood" tape may have cause stress for Trump and his family.
"I don't think he wanted anyone in his family to be hurt or embarrassed by anything that happened during the campaign. He wanted them to be proud of him.
Hicks said that Trump "really values Mrs. Trump's opinion," referring to his wife Melania Trump.
The "Access Hollywood" tape featured audio of Trump and television host Billy Bush where Trump referenced attempting to seduce a married woman and how having power factors in.
"And when you're a star, they let you do it. You can do anything," Trump said in the tape.
Judge Juan Merchan previously ruled that the tape can not be played in court, but the details of what was said on the tape can be discussed by the lawyers.
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Image generated using artificial intelligence via Midjourney.
