Trump trial live updates: Hope Hicks testifies about ‘damaging’ Access Hollywood tape in hush money case

Donald Trump is back at Manhattan Criminal Court for the latest instalment of his hush money trial on Friday, where testimony continues.

The court is now hearing from a major witness, former aide and press secretary to Mr Trump, Hope Hicks.

Ms Hicks was a crucial part of the 2016 Trump campaign and allegedly part of at least 10 telephone conversations with Mr Trump and former fixer and attorney Michael Cohen regarding the hush money payments and alleged reimbursements.

She took the stand at around 11.30am and began by saying with a laugh that she was “really nervous” before explaining how she came to work for the former president.

Earlier, Mr Trump’s attorneys cross-examined a forensic analyst from the Manhattan district attorney’s office who pulled thousands of files from Cohen’s phones, including the bombshell audio of a secretly recorded conversation from 2016 that was played yesterday and captured Cohen and the defendant discussing a payment to ex-Playboy model Karen McDougal.

Keith Davidson, the ex-lawyer for Stormy Daniels and Ms McDougal, wrapped up his testimony yesterday.

The Independent’s Alex Woodward is covering the trial at Manhattan Criminal Court.

Donald Trump falsely claimed on Thursday that his hush-money trial gag order means that he isn’t “allowed” to testify as part of his defence.

Mr Trump was hit with a gag order in March preventing him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his hush-money trial, in which he is charged with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in an alleged bid to cover up hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels – all of which he denies.

The order prohibits Mr Trump from commenting about the trial on Truth Social or