Tragic Details About Former Trump Aide Hope Hicks That Are Just Plain Sad

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It seems safe to say that Hope Hicks' life in the spotlight while working in the White House has had a lot of ups and downs, but mostly downs. She joined Donald Trump's team before the 2016 election when she was in her mid-20s, and she's remained super loyal to the president throughout a bunch of turmoil and court cases. 

Despite this, she ended up resigning from a position at the White House not once, but twice. Although the second time around was a bit less of a scandal. After all of this, we can look back now on her work with Trump and reflect on a few things. One of which is that Hicks went through a lot. This includes testifying twice in cases involving Trump, her personal romantic relationships getting attention for all the wrong reasons, and having to defend Trump's sexist remarks, among other issues. Even for a loyal Trump follower, some of these things are just plain sad.

So while Hicks seems to have come out of the White House with a successful career and (relatively) solid reputation, she certainly didn't leave unscathed.

While Hope Hicks' life before working with Donald Trump isn't as well-known, she reportedly said goodbye to a long-term relationship when she signed on to his campaign. She didn't exactly say goodbye to all romance, though, as she reportedly was involved with someone while working on Trump's 2016 presidential campaign, and that was Corey Lewandowski. 

Hicks' affair rumors with Lewandowski came out later down the line, while she was getting attention for dating another controversial figure in Trump's circle, Rob Porter. Around the same time that the first reports came out about Hicks and Porter's relationship, her history with Lewandowski was revealed in the book "Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House." In it, author Michael Wolff claimed that the two dated during Trump's campaign in 2016, although it didn't end well, with Lewandowski getting fired and Hicks moving on. The next time around with Porter wasn't much better, though. Trump's former White House communications director was getting close with Porter, seen kissing and going out to dinner together, right before his ex-wives accused him of abuse. As you might expect, Hicks' name got pulled into the troubling situation, and soon after, the burgeoning couple seemed to call things off. 

In the years after this controversy, Hicks either didn't date much or kept it out of the spotlight. There were no other reports about a relationship or dating. It seems like love and Trump's White House just don't mix. After leaving the White House the second time, Hicks appeared to find love with Goldman Sachs investment banker Jim Donovan. And with any luck, this relationship won't end the same way as the others.

Hope Hicks is known for her consistently calm and collected demeanor. But she surprised many when she broke down during a very important testimony about Donald Trump's activities. Whether or not you like Hicks, most people can agree that this was a sad moment for her.

In May 2024, Hicks testified against Trump in the criminal court case People of New York v. Donald J. Trump, with Trump eventually convicted of 34 felony counts. As the defense, led by Trump attorney Emil Bove, began their questioning, Hicks seemed to break down. According to The New Yorker's reporting, Hicks apologized and dabbed her teary eyes before asking, "Could I just have a minute?" She then took a break before the trial continued. While it's unclear exactly what had her feeling emotional, many publications seemed to surmise that it was difficult for her to provide testimony that might hurt Trump in some way. It was likely a strange moment for Hicks, going up to the witness stand to talk about her experience with Trump during the 2016 election. So it wouldn't be surprising for anyone in her position to get a little emotional. 

But apparently, some people didn't buy her tears. A reporter for The New Yorker recalled another journalist at the trial questioning the legitimacy of the emotional moment, commenting, "Come on. She's a crisis-communications professional." Whether her breakdown was genuine or not, testifying against the former boss you were extremely loyal to is a low moment for anyone.

During her time working for Donald Trump and his family, Hope Hicks seemed impressively loyal and was known for keeping important information close to the vest. She also seemed to admire Trump, and in the 2024 trial, she described her former boss as a "very good multitasker, a very hard worker," via PBS. The relationship between Trump and Hicks was known to be rather close.

Just starting out in 2016, Hicks had a similar perspective on Trump then as well. She spoke with Marie Claire in a rare interview, saying of the work, "The pressure and the long hours — it's all relative to what Trump's putting in, which is everything." But despite her devotion to her boss and the work, Hicks ended up like many others in Trump's retinue, resigning soon after a scandal or any slight action against Trump occurred. In Hicks' case, her resignation announcement came one day after she testified for hours in the House Intelligence Committee's investigation into Russia's attempt to meddle in the 2016 presidential election. During the testimony, she admitted that she sometimes told "white lies" in her role as Trump's White House communications director. It also wasn't long after the controversy with Rob Porter came out, with the whole situation not a good look for Hicks. 

While Hicks claimed "she had accomplished what she felt she could" when she announced her departure, according to CNN, it's hard not to connect the dots to see another reason for her leaving: She disappointed Trump. This can't be said for sure, but Hicks' path echoed a lot of other people whom Trump fired at the first sign of trouble. No matter why Hicks resigned at that moment, it certainly felt like a rough moment in her political career.