NEW YORK — Prosecutors called Donald Trump’s loyal longtime aide Hope Hicks to the stand at his Manhattan hush money trial Friday, where she is expected to face questions on what she knew about Trump’s alleged efforts to silence women who alleged they’d had extramarital trysts with him when he first ran for the White House.

In 2019, Hicks told the House Judiciary Committee that she was directed to make a public statement denying he’d once had a relationship with former Playboy model Karen McDougal. She denied knowing about hush money.

The former Trump aide, who served as White House communications director and Trump’s campaign spokeswoman, was once considered among the former president’s closest confidants.

Hicks, who is being forced to testify under a subpoena, said she spoke with Trump every day that she worked for him but hadn’t seen or spoken to him since the fall or December 2022.

He kept his eyes trained on her as she walked to the witness box and took her seat.

Earlier, the judge presiding over the case told Trump Friday that he is in no way limited by what he can say about witnesses at his Manhattan hush money trial if he chooses to take the stand in his own defense — correcting a claim Trump made outside court.

On his way out of court Thursday, Trump claimed Merchan’s gag order — the subject of ongoing debate – prevented him from taking the stand.

“Well, I’m not allowed to testify. I’m under a gag order, I guess. I can’t testify,” Trump said.

Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan started Friday’s proceedings by saying he needed to “clear up any misunderstandings” about the gag order preventing Trump from publicly remarking on witnesses and jurors.

“I want to stress, Mr. Trump, that you have an absolute right to testify at trial, if that’s what you decide to do,” the judge said, noting his order applies to “statements that are made outside of court, it does not apply to statements made from the witness stand.”

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