Old Trump confidant recounts 2016 campaign scare over Access Hollywood tape

NY: Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign was gripped by concerns about the potential political damage of a tape that showed Trump bragging about sexually grabbing women without their permission, longtime Trump adviser Hope Hicks testified in her trial for secret money.

Hicks, a former White House official, was forced to testify by Manhattan prosecutors, who hope her comments will bolster their argument that the uproar over the infamous Access Hollywood The tape prompted Trump’s then-lawyer to pay porn actor Stormy Daniels to bury a negative story that could jeopardize his 2016 presidential bid.

Hicks, once one of Trump’s closest confidants, provided a window into the chaotic aftermath of the tape’s release just days before a crucial debate with Democrat Hillary Clinton. It was recorded in 2005 but was not seen by the public until October 7, 2016, about a month before Election Day. Hicks described being stunned and huddled with other Trump advisers after learning of the tape’s existence from the Washington Post journalist who broke the story. Hicks referred the journalist’s request to campaign leaders with the recommendation to “deny, deny, deny,” she said.

“I had the good sense to believe that this was going to be a massive story and that it would dominate the news cycle for the next few days,” Hicks testified. “This was a disruptive development.”