Abandon All Hope

Hope Hicks is a former model who posed for a local magazine in her hometown of Greenwich, Connecticut, the sort of magazine with puff-piece articles and even and business listings that you get for free in your mail.   She was also the cover model for the cover of a novel in "The It Girl" series.  So it makes sense that Donald Trump's most trusted advisor - who never would have met Trump if Trump's daughter hadn't started a fashion line, which wouldn't have happened if Trump's daughter's name hadn't been Ivanka Smith - has long been an anonymous cipher.  Hicks spent most of her time under the radar, screening those who wanted access to Trump, promoting his lies and fake denials, serving as his personal valet - even steaming his clothes while he was wearing them because he wanted to look fresh up to the moment.  She was like a third daughter to  him - and given how he lusted after Ivanka and treated Tiffany as an afterthought, she was more like his only daughter. 

So it must have been really, really painful for Hicks to testify at Trump's 2016 election interference trial and, after lying for Trump to get him elected, tell the truth with the specter of perjury hanging over her pretty little head.  She pretty much confirmed what everyone had suspected all along - that Trump had made it clear that he wanted his alleged affairs with a porn star and a nude model covered up and sought to avoid embarrassment against him in the aftermath of the "Access Hollywood" tape.  No wonder she cried - you'd cry too, if you thought you were on somebody's hit list.

I'm glad Hope Hicks old the truth, but she gets no medal for being so brave and honest on the witness stand, which isn't likely and she doesn't expect, because she shouldn't have told the lies during the 2016 campaign that helped get Trump elected in the first place.  Even Hillary Clinton's awfulness as Trump's Democratic opponent doesn't excuse Hicks.