Former U.S. President Trump has decided not to testify in his hush money criminal trial, allowing for a swift end to his defense process, clearing the way for jury deliberations and a verdict to begin next week.
Since April 15, the trial of Trump’s hush money case, which is the first criminal trial of a former U.S. president in history, is nearing its conclusion. Speculation had been rife for weeks about whether Trump would testify on his own behalf.
Judge Juan Merchan stated that jurors will return to court next Tuesday, May 28, after the three-day Memorial Day weekend, to hear closing arguments and deliberations may begin on Wednesday, May 29.
The case involves allegations from the eve of the 2016 election when Trump, as a presidential candidate, allegedly orchestrated a payment to a pornographic actress to keep quiet about their alleged extramarital affair. The New York state hush money case against Trump has evolved from a non-criminal matter into 34 felony charges, still brought against Trump despite being beyond the statute of limitations.
If Trump were to testify in his defense, he might seek to personally convince the jury of 12 members and 6 alternate jurors that his intentions were to protect his family from embarrassment rather than to cover up damaging sexual encounter stories that could harm his political future.
However, criminal defendants typically do not testify in their own trials as it would expose them to cross-examination by prosecutors.
The 77-year-old Trump has pleaded not guilty to the 34 counts of falsifying business records. He denies any wrongdoing and has repeatedly stated that he never had a sexual relationship with the pornographic actress, Daniels.
In addition, Trump’s lawyers had previously requested Judge Merchan to dismiss the case before the jury trial, citing the lack of credibility in a key witness in the case, estranged former lawyer Michael Cohen.
Such motions to dismiss are rarely successful, with Merchan indicating on Monday that he leans toward letting the jury assess Cohen’s credibility.
On Monday, Cohen testified for the fourth time, admitting during his testimony that he had embezzled tens of thousands of dollars from the Trump Organization by inflating payment amounts.
Trump has consistently portrayed all the charges as part of a “witch hunt” and a “sham trial” initiated and actively promoted by the White House and the core of the Justice Department.