On Friday, Hope Hicks, Donald Trump's ex-campaign press secretary and former White House communications director, testified.
Hicks appeared visibly nervous during her testimony, often avoiding eye contact with Trump while responding to prosecutors' inquiries for over two hours.
According to the Manhattan District Attorney's Office, this tape heightened Trump's apprehension about ensuring Stormy Daniels remained silent in the lead-up to the November 2016 election.
Seated in the witness box, Hicks appeared visibly uneasy and wasted no time acknowledging her discomfort as she started responding to questions. "I'm really nervous," she admitted, adjusting herself and the microphone before her.
Trump's expression was often grim, his gaze shifting between Hicks and his attorneys as he exchanged frequent notes while observing the proceedings unfolding on the television screen above.
Meanwhile, Hicks remained focused on assistant district attorney Matthew Colangelo and the jury, seldom glancing at the defendant's table.
On Friday, jurors were presented with a complete transcript of the "Access Hollywood" tape, which featured Trump's notorious "grab 'em by the p*ssy" remark, along with other crude language that the campaign attempted to downplay as "locker room talk."
Throughout Friday, Trump's legal team persisted in their ongoing attack on Cohen's credibility during the trial.
They scrutinized everything from his management of his cell phones to his tendency to act independently, often described as "going rogue," during the 2016 campaign.
Trump has settled the $9,000 fine he received for violating the gag order, paying with two cashier’s checks.
However, Merchan did not make a ruling on the other reported violations of the gag order attributed to Trump.