Former President Donald Trump concluded his defense in a hush money lawsuit in Manhattan without taking the stand, despite previous promises to do so. The conclusion came almost five weeks into the trial, with the majority of testimonies coming from prosecution witnesses according to Politico.
By refraining from testifying, Trump avoided potential complications arising from challenging cross-examinations and avoided shifting the burden of proof from the prosecution to himself.
Following the completion of the defense case, Justice Juan Merchan adjourned the court until May 28, with arguments due to continue following the holiday interlude. The judge also addressed Trump’s claims that a legally mandated gag order also prevented him from testifying, underscoring that Trump did indeed have the right to do so.
Trump, who is accused of falsely recording business transactions to conceal a payment made to an adult-film actress before the 2016 presidential election, denies any wrongdoing. He holds that the lawsuit is part of a politically motivated “witch hunt” intended to destabilize his potential return to the Presidency.
An interesting moment of the trial was when one of the two witnesses called upon by the defense, attorney Robert Costello, faced significant criticism from Justice Merchan for his conduct while giving his testimony.
Originally reported by Erik Larson in New York for Bloomberg Law.