New evidence reveals whether Trump will take the stand in his criminal trial: sources
Donald Trump has claimed he will testify in the New York hush money case alleging he partook in a criminal cover up, but no one has been sure. Now, new evidence finally points to a decision, according to insider sources.
Trump has insisted he desires to testify on his behalf at the trial, but has also falsely claimed a gag order limiting his extrajudicial statements actually prevents him from giving the testimony.
Now, four insiders have revealed why the judge is proceeding as if Trump is not taking the stand, according to the Washington Post's report.
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The outlet notes that "defense attorneys often try to hold out until the last possible minute to say whether their client will testify, hoping to keep prosecutors guessing."
"In Trump’s case, the judge’s discussions with lawyers in recent days indicate that even if the defense calls a small number of witnesses, they do not expect Trump to be one of them," according to the report. "Four people close to the former president said next week’s plan does not include him testifying, and they expect the jury to start deliberating later in the week. Trump is famously mercurial and could always demand to testify, some of these people said, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe internal deliberations. Todd Blanche, a lawyer for Trump, declined to comment."
The report goes on to quote Robert Mintz, a former federal prosecutor now in private practice, who said that testifying for yourself in a criminal case "is a high-stakes gambit that generally does not end well for the defendant."
“While it provides an opportunity for the defendant to look the jury in the eye and tell their side of the story, it also essentially allows prosecutors to retry their entire case on cross examination.”