‘Drama queen’: Hope Hicks mocked for crying in court after testifying about Trump’s claim Michael Cohen paid off Stormy Daniels

MANHATTAN, NEW YORK CITY: Donald Trump's ex-aide, Hope Hicks, broke down while testifying in the hush money trial against the former president, sending the court to a short break.

She cried at the witness stand after the end of her testimony regarding the hush money payment her former boss made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election. Hicks was called to take the stand on Friday, May 3, by the prosecution, where she gave a detailed description of her long relationship with the GOP presumptive nominee.

The former aide, who worked for Trump under multiple roles at the Trump Organization and the White House, said she had not spoken directly to the ex-president since 2022, as per Mediaite.

Why did Hope Hicks break down inside court?

Reporters said the testimony Hicks gave moments before breaking down inside the courtroom might have triggered her.

According to CNN's Paula Reid, who reported outside the Manhattan courtroom, the former Trump aide apparently broke down after testifying about her conversation with the real estate mogul when he revealed his ex-fixer, Michael Cohen, paid off adult film actress Daniels with his own money.

The $130 000 payment was to silence Daniels about Trump's extramarital affair with her.

"Trump told her that Michael Cohen made the payment. He thought it was a generous thing to do and Trump said he was appreciative of the loyalty and Trump thought it was better to deal with the story now, because it would have been bad if the story had come out before the election," CNN's Reid reported about the events inside the courtroom during Hicks' testimony.

Hicks became emotional immediately after testifying about her conversation with Trump after Cohen's 2018 interview with The New York Times, where he confessed to the payment to Daniels, came out.

"President Trump was saying that he had spoken to Michael and that Michael had paid this woman to protect him from a false allegation and that Michael felt like it was his job to protect him and that's what he was doing," the former aide testified according to Slate. "And he did it out of the kindness of his own heart—he never told anybody about it."

When questioned whether she thought Cohen would spend his own money to help Trump, Hicks said that "would be out of character for Michael" because she never considered the former attorney "to be an especially charitable person or selfless person."

She concluded that Cohen was "the kind of person who seeks credit".

The CNN reporter added, citing a person inside the courtroom, that it was after this testimony that Hicks broke down, realizing she had sunk Trump's defense because her testimony made the case stronger for the prosecution.

According to the reporter, the moment was the "closest thing to a Perry Mason moment there is in a white-collar case".

Internet mocks Hope Hicks for crying after testimony

Social media users ridiculed Hicks over her breakdown during testimony in the hush money trial against her ex-boss.

One user called the ex-Trump aide a "Drama queen!"

Another wrote, "Hope must've caught a whiff of Donald's essence - it would bring tears to anyone's eyes."

"It was her 'Omg what have I revealed?' moment," a third user quipped.

A fourth response read, "What happens when one realizes she just buried her former boss."

Another user remarked, "Crying is always a good way to take a pause."

Someone else mockingly asked, "Were those real tears or Kyle Rittenhouse type tears?"

One user wrote, "She cried and inside said, 'What have I done.'"

"She needs to give Kyle rittenhouse crying lessons," another added.

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.