Trump’s trial gives behind-the-scenes look at how he managed bad media coverage

NEW YORK — When The Washington Post contacted then-candidate Donald Trump’s presidential campaign in 2016 to ask about a recording capturing him boasting about grabbing women’s genitals, the request for comment landed in the inbox of Hope Hicks, his top spokeswoman.

The email from reporter David Fahrenthold arrived on a Friday afternoon just weeks before the general election. He had labeled the message “URGENT” in the subject line. When she saw it, Hicks was “stunned.” The campaign faced a mammoth crisis, she recalled Friday.