Cnns Breaking News welcome to the lead. Im Phil Mattingly in for jake tapper today and we are live outside the new york courthouse where today one of dahman ill trumps most loyal aids in the first four, Trump White House employee to testify, took the stand in the hush money cover up trial. Hope hicks acknowledged to the jury she was nervous to testify at times she giggled in one instance, actually cried on the stand leading to a brief delay in the trial now hits describes starting to work for the Trump Organization weve 14 before becoming the Trump Campaign spokeswoman in the 2016 race. And ultimately, the White House Communications director. Now she testified about the campaigns panic behind the scenes when they learned of the now infamous this access Hollywood Tape that donald trump was upset when he heard the news and staffers agreed that this was a crisis. Picks one on the testify that showing learn about Karen Mcdougal, who alleged aid nearly yearlong affair with donald trump when contacted by the Wall Street Journal just four days before the 2016 election, want to dive right in with cnn chief Legal Affairs correspondent paul read them. It hadnt criminal Defense Attorney stacey schneider, police are with you because this was a a significant day. Everyone was waiting for hope picks to testify, see where she was gonna go with things, given her proximity to the former president. But the atmosphere i think was also critical in this moment. Hope hicks said from the top, im very nervous. Yeah she cried at one point. What was going on in built to a crescendo because at the end of her direct examination from prosecutors, she testified that trump told her he was aware of the payment that cohen had made it to keep Stormy Daniels quiet because remember the heart of this is allegations that he falsified Business Records that appeared to be a retainer for cohen, but this yes, the trump is aware that cohen paid daniels and knew it wasnt for legal services, that it was indeed hush money. And he also told her that he knew that suppressing that story was a good big ahead of the election, whose glad that it got out after the election and thats all very powerful for the prosecutors case. And it was a few moments after she said that while they were switching to Defense Lawyers, that she broke down on the stand, whatever colleagues and sayyed said, it was issue realized that she had just provided something really damaging against reformer boss. Now, well say once Defense Attorney has got a crack at her, she also provided some helpful testimony to them, most notably that trump was concerned about the impact that the Karen Mcdougal story went have on his wife. And thats really a large part of the defense. So definitely the most emotional day that weve seen on the stand so far into that point, the build from the prosecution laying out the entire timeline over the course of several hours and it was at the very end that we got those critical moments from from hope hicks, apollo was just detailing what do think the jurys take away from today should be . Today was like a blockbuster of testimony from hope hicks. It was unbelievable. There were so many points scored for the prosecutions case, which is this builds up and background of the story leading up to the election and why allegedly Michael Cohens payment to Stormy Daniels was in aid of the campaign as the prosecution has gotten previous witness to testify to what was also what was happening here. Here in which the jury was taking in, was that every time hope hicks described Michael Cohen, it was what was with this tastes theres this theme coming out from the defense, from trumps team that Michael Cohen mightve got gone rogue on this and theyre going to try to prove it. So by Stormy Daniels saying he was inserting himself in the campaign it wasnt really part of it, but he was called im sorry. Not sorry. Okay. Thank you. Were expect a lot of different layers is coming we there are a lot of little tidbits that hope hicks toss to the defense, even though shes the prosecution witness. But when paul was describing her crying, i think its so significant because of the fact that the defense is in calling her as a witness, and she and trump had a very long term excellent relationship. He was very fond of her. They sell out in 2022. And for her to be crying on the stand. I i know what that feels like because hes scary and she knew that she had stepped into it and said something that was not going to help him when she revealed that he was aware of the payments to stormy, daniels, even though that was after the election, it shows knowledge and intent and we are not expecting we meaning the attorneys who tried these cases the time. No way. I dont care what donald trump says. I dont think hes going to take that stand. It would be way too dangerous to what you were saying that there were points that okay. Said during the cross that are effective its such a good background. I hope hicks, because shes not one of those people who totally turn on donald trump, right . She hasnt had books, she has been on cable tv, she hasnt gone completely against him. Theres no sense of veterans have much publicly at all and there were points during crossexamination worth the defense got what they wanted, that he is very short yeah absolutely. Even on direct, she had very warm comments even though theyve been a strange since the january 6 investigation, there were very warm comments that she had about his gift for messaging, his work ethic. Shes clearly not someone who is hostile to, the defendant. And so that makes it more powerful. Anything that they can get out of her and on defense on the different crossexamination. Not only did she talk about how concern trump legitimately was about the impact this could have in his family. She also talked again about Michael Cohen cohen, as i keep saying, no one has anything nice to say about Michael Cohen is the one thing that unites both sides of this case is no matter who is doing the questioning, something negative about about Michael Cohen always comes out and youre just talking about how he was the fixer. But as because hes using a broken things and im laura charitable commissions are laughing and i laughed when i read i love when she said Michael Cohen doesnt have a decent are nice bone in his body but its Something Like that. It should everyone is just so against Michael Cohen. But the Big Takeaway From Folk Six testimony is Michael Cohen, no matter how hard trumps defense is trying to distance Michael Cohen from campaign activity. Hes still calling hope hicks all the time and saying, ive got this intel on Stormy Daniels ive got a negative statement on story. Daniels retracting the story so campaign dont worry because ive got it covered. So you know, whether he was in the campaign or out of the campaign . Youre acting as trumps attorney its all Connect Trumps world is all connected. The campaign, because private life, Michael Cohen, and even though we were talking about just now and throughout the broadcast today, how the defense scored this victory because they were able to get hope hicks to say yeah, trump was really worried about melania well, why wouldnt he be hey, its an allegation about an affair. Its disruptive, but that doesnt take away the motive and the intent and the concern trump would very likely have on his campaign and bringing in the whole trial is about bringing all of these witnesses into show. Trumps motive and can end intent allegedly was to benefit his campaign his family may have been a motive what is likely secondary considering all the machinations weve seen so far, and were not even halfway through the trial. Right. And so pushing towards that one where they directly connected to the former president , which is clearly sophie had been trying to do, right. Guys stay with me. I do want to bring in cnn political commentator alyssa farah griffin. She wasnt White House Communications director under former president trump. It and im not sure you can find a lot of people who have a kind of a more analogous path. Then hope hicks, then you, alicia, on some level, including the idea youve testified in front of different panels related to the former president. Youve held the roi, youve been in the rooms as you guys have been trying to figure out how to respond to crises once, specifically. But im interested. You worked in the same white house at the same time in 2020. What did you what was your read on how who picks was today lets said, i thought it was a mixed bag and i expected that i said as much in advance hope hicks is not me. I was never expecting i was going to welcome her to the Trump Resistance after this testimony. Her testimony was never going to be Cassidy Hutchinson going in front of the january 6 committee. She is somebody who is loyal to trump to the very end. She never spoke out about january 6. You just kind of quietly went into the night. We learned that i guess they havent been in communication and some time. But i think what she did, shes a very shrewd person. Shes calculating how she operates. She was there under subpoena and she said exactly what she needed to say to not perjured herself to not incriminate herself, but nothing more than that. So yes, there were some wins for the prosecution. Obviously acknowledging are being able to state that trump acknowledged the payment that Michael Cohen made. That was a big win, but there were also some key ones for the defense. And i i have to think thats by design. She has such genuine affection for donald trump for his family. She was almost like an extended member of his family, so i think this explanation about he wanted to make his family proud. You didnt want Melania Trump to see the newspapers. I think thats going to resonate with the jury, and i just want to share one thing, stephanie grisham, who was sort of what hope picks was to trump to melania. Trump pointed out that Melania Trump consuming all of her nose. Shes a voracious reader on social media and online, not through print newspapers. So that wouldnt have really helped her from learning about this just as a factual matter. But i think it was an incredibly mixed bag. If that was the key star witness, you know, i dont know that. I think its a rock solid case in many ways. Can i see you make a really important distinction about kind of your path host white house, and hope hicks, his path, which i think people need to understand it. And when you think about that, what do you think it was like for hope hicks to be in a courtroom ten feet away from the former president in front of a jury and the highstakes case like this yeah, i couldnt help but think about that because she had such a close relationship to donald trump. I think this was truly emotional for her. I mean, this is someone unlike other senior staff like myself, she would go and have dinner at ivanka and jarretts house. She was close with the family like truly a friend of the family. So i think for her this was a lot more she felt like she was having to testify against somebody that she cared about for someone like me and others who spoke out just about his and fitness for office. The, you know, just the oat trying to overturn the election, the events around january 6, it was frankly a lot less emotional. It was truly just this is whats right for the country. Its the obligation we felt we had as Public Servants who collected a taxpayer salary. This is a very different individual without regard that said shes credible. Shes in the room. I think she shared some incredibly useful information in did if anything, giving clear, very clear, made clear that donald trump was aware of this payment from that Michael Cohen made on his behalf yes, theres no question about that. And i think, you know quite well that he was involved in everything when it came to statements and the life despite what may have been presented but otherwise, lets fair, griffin, its always but thanks so much. Thank you blake, dramatic day. For sure at the trump hush money to cover up trial. What it was like to be inside the courtroom today . Once trumps most loyal advisers spent hours on the san are laura coates, she just out from the course is gonna join me next with us imagine a future where plastic is not wasted but instead remade over and over into the things that keep our food fresher. Our families safer in our planet, cleaner to help us get there. 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If you have symptoms of infection in your legs or feet, taking jordans, but this will find your real or insulin may cause low blood sugar rallies close captioning, hes brought to you by skechers handsfree slip ends. Whats the greatest invention of all time . New handsfree Sketcher Slip ends. You just sleep then and theyre on. Its like they have an invisible builtin shoe horn. So your foot and slides into place handsfree sketch your slippers were back outside the courthouse where Donald TrumpsHush Money Trial just wrapped up for the week seen as laura coates joins me now and laura, you were inside the courtroom on what was unquestionably a fascinating day hey, i think anderson said when hope hicks walked in, there was like theres an electricity to the rule given her relationship with four walk people through what you saw, what stood out to you . Oh, well, that current contained can you i mean, the idea that we were all waiting to hear from somebody whos maybe the connection between the campaign. Remember the whole purpose of the prosecutions argument is that this was all done to try to benefit the campaign payne while she is that link to get us from the stories of cachin kill two. Now what happened, what was striking to watch the former president walking to the courtroom. Youre talking about somebody who you are so accustomed to being in these opulent settings by design and intentionally, here he is an ordinary defendant in a criminal courtroom where a judge walks into the corner courtroom and just says, is the