‘What a hapless pair’: Internet mocks Hope Hicks and Michael Cohen after their frantic text messages are shown at Trump’s hush money trial
MANHATTAN, NEW YORK: Frantic text messages between Hope Hicks and Michael Cohen were shown in the Manhattan courtroom as evidence in the hush money trial against former President Donald Trump.
The messages swapped between Trump's former aide and the personal lawyer just four days before the 2016 election indicated their panic over the newspaper article about the affair allegations of a Playboy model against the ex-president, as per Daily Mail.
Cohen had texted Hicks, who was then the press secretary to Trump's campaign, regarding the developments in the story, to which she eventually replied with a link to the published story by the Wall Street Journal titled 'National Enquirer Shielded Donald Trump From Playboy Model's Affair Allegation.'
Hicks took the witness stand on Friday, May 3, whereas Cohen is expected to testify in the coming days.
Hope Hicks and Michael Cohen hoped story would disappear
Contrary to Hicks' and Cohen's hope that the story about Playboy model Karen McDougal would disappear, eight years later, it was shown in the Manhattan courtroom where the former president is under trial over falsifying business record to cover up a hush money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election to silence her about their alleged sexual encounter.
"Lots of innuendos with little fact. Poorly written, and I don't see it getting much play," read one of Cohen's texts on November 4, 2016, to which Hicks replied, "I agree with most of that!! It will get play bc the media is the worst but he should just ignore and blow past it."
Trump's approach to women was already scrutinized after the 'Access Holywood' tape became public, where he boasted about how he treated his female admirers. And the new story about McDougal indicated a scheme to silence those who had an affair with the then-GOP candidate.
Cohen, who paid the $150,000 to McDougal, said in the text, "One quick statement by him to blow off steam and say that there is no validity and WSJ has turned into a smut paper."
"Yep. Ok pray Michael, pray!!!" Hicks responded.
On November 5, 2016, Cohen texted that there were only six stories that were "getting little to no traction," and the former Trump aide agreed with it.
Former publisher of the National Enquirer, David Pecker, already testified in the court about the "catch-and-kill" scheme he formulated with Trump to bury the negative stories about the ex-president before the 2016 election. A celebrity lawyer who helped McDougal sell the story also took the stand this week.
However, after the Playboy model's story was published, both Hicks and Cohen anticipated it would go away by itself.
On November 5, less than 72 hours before the 2016 election, Hicks texted the attorney, "Keep praying!! It's working!"
"Even CNN not talking about it. No one believes it and if necessary, I have a statement by Storm denying everything and contradicting the other porn stars statement," Cohen responded. "I wouldn't use it now or even discuss with him as no one is talking about this or cares!"
By this time, the former Trump lawyer was already involved in the hush money payment to Daniels, whose name was included in the Wall Street Journal article.
Further into the text messages, the former Trump aide asked Cohen to stay in touch, to which he expressed his eagerness to get everything over with a win.
Trump did win against his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton, in the November 8, 2016 election.
Internet reacts to text messages between Hicks and Cohen
Social media users responded with mocking comments about the 2016 text messages between Hicks and Cohen.
One user commented below the Daily Mail article, "Hope and Michael what a hapless pair LOL."
Meanwhile, another wrote, "Hope you should have found a better job."
A third user added, "I had to clutch my pearls after reading such 'frantic' messages being exchange! How dare them… LOL."
A fourth response read, "Snitches gets stiches."
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.
