(TheRedWire.com) – In his New York criminal trial, former President Trump has chosen not to testify, following his legal team’s decision to conclude their defense. This came right after the prosecution wrapped up their presentation on Monday. Outside the courtroom on Tuesday morning, Trump remarked, “We’ll be resting pretty quickly — resting meaning resting the case. I won’t be resting,” adding humorously, “I don’t rest. I’d like to rest sometimes, but I don’t get to rest.”
This development propels the trial into its concluding phases, with the judge scheduling the closing arguments for the upcoming Tuesday, followed by the jury’s deliberation.
The uncertainty over whether Trump would testify was a topic of speculation until the last moments, despite his occasional hints to the media about possibly taking the stand—a scenario that legal commentators deemed risky considering the stakes of his first criminal trial.
Even last week, Trump’s attorney, Todd Blanche, expressed ongoing deliberations about this decision to the judge, highlighting the unpredictability surrounding Trump’s participation.
This trial marks the third occasion in the past year that Trump faced the possibility of testifying in his legal battles. The defense called two witnesses: Danny Sitko, a legal analyst, and Robert Costello, a lawyer with previous connections to Trump’s circle.
Costello, who had advised Trump’s former fixer Michael Cohen and served as an intermediary after Cohen fell out of favor with Trump, was implicated in what prosecutors suggest was a “pressure campaign” to ensure Cohen’s loyalty to Trump—a claim he disputed.
Meanwhile, Sitko, who works for Trump’s lead attorney and has been actively involved in the trial proceedings, briefly testified, managing to provide his insights despite objections from the prosecution.
Trump stands accused of 34 counts of falsifying business records related to a payment made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels by Cohen. This payment was allegedly intended to prevent Daniels from discussing her purported 2006 affair with Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign, which Trump denies.
Throughout the trial, Trump has maintained his innocence, asserting that the business records were accurate and denying personal involvement in the alleged payoff scheme.
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