On Tuesday, Donald Trump’s defense attorneys concluded their case at his criminal trial regarding hush money payments to a porn star, without calling the former president to testify.
Testifying could have allowed Trump, the Republican candidate for the November 5 U.S. presidential election, to address the 34 criminal charges he faces for allegedly falsifying business records.
Prosecutors claim Trump tried to cover up his former lawyer Michael Cohen’s $130,000 payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels, meant to keep her silent about an alleged 2006 sexual encounter with Trump, just before the 2016 election.
Taking the stand was risky for Trump, as it would have subjected him to thorough cross-examination by prosecutors.
Trump, 77, has pleaded not guilty and denies any sexual involvement with Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford. Although he previously indicated he would testify, his lawyers stated last week that he had not yet made a final decision.
This trial, the first criminal prosecution of a U.S. president, past or present, is approaching its conclusion after weeks of witness testimonies.
Prosecutors brought forward 20 witnesses, including Cohen, who testified last week that Trump directed him to pay Daniels and later agreed to reimburse him with a series of fraudulent invoices disguised as payments for legal services.
Trump’s defense team has tried to distance him from the Daniels payment, contending that Cohen was actually receiving a retainer fee for his role as Trump’s personal lawyer in 2017.
