Trump opts out of testifying in criminal hush money trial
3 Min Read
Fearing that he would have been at risk of perjury if he lied under oath when asked questions by prosecutors, Trump's legal team calls two witnesses on his behalf.
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Former President Donald Trump prepares to address reporters following the day's proceedings in his trial in Manhattan Criminal Court, Tuesday, May 21, 2024, in New York. (AP/Pool)
Defendant and former US President Donald Trump decided not to testify in his hush money trial on Tuesday, as criminal defendants usually don't testify in their own trials since he would have been at risk of perjury if he lied under oath when asked questions by prosecutors.
Trump's legal team has since called two witnesses on his behalf.
Retired New York judge George Grasso said in an interview last week, “He could tank his whole case with one outburst".
Trump previously pleaded not guilty to all 34 counts of falsifying business records in connection with the alleged hush money payments intended to silence adult film actress Stormy Daniels. The trial's unfolding proceedings are expected to delve into the intricacies of Trump's financial dealings and his conduct prior to the 2016 election.
Read next: Trump contradicts his lawyers, says he has $500 million in cash
Prosecutors believe that the cover-up included election-law and tax-law violations, which change the crimes from misdemeanors to felonies punishable by up to four years in prison.
Trump had called the judge overseeing the case "corrupt" and claimed that prosecutors were trying to make Biden look good before the November elections. He characterized the hush money case as a political ploy aimed at tarnishing his reputation and impeding his electoral prospects, calling it a witch hunt.
"This is done as election interference, everybody knows it," Trump told reporters while stressing that the case was contrived to disadvantage him vis-à-vis his political rival, incumbent President Joe Biden.
🚨TRUMP: “These are all Biden trials. These are done as election interference, everyone knows it—This is a witch hunt.” pic.twitter.com/O8ngZ3q3Jt
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) April 22, 2024
Justice Juan Merchan revealed that jurors were due to convene next Tuesday, to hear closing arguments, and deliberate likely the following day.
The Trump team asked Merchan to dismiss the case before it reaches the jury, claiming that it depends on the testimony of a witness, the estranged former Trump fixer Michael Cohen, with previous records of lying.
Merchan revealed this week that he was willing to let the jurors assess Cohen's credibility.
On Truth Social, Trump labeled Merchan as a "true and certified Trump hater who suffers from a very serious case of Trump Derangement Syndrome."
"In other words, he hates me," Trump explained, "Judge Merchan should recuse himself, he cannot give me a fair trial."
