Trump Says He Intends to Testify in His Manhattan Criminal Case
Donald J. Trump, after his unsuccessful attempt to avoid a criminal trial set to commence in Manhattan next week, stated his intention to testify in the case related to a payment made to a pornographic actress for silence.
On Friday, at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida, Mr. Trump addressed reporters’ questions, confirming his willingness to testify when queried about it.
“I’m testifying. I tell the truth,” he said, standing just off a sunny patio of the private club with Speaker Mike Johnson behind him. “I mean, all I can do is tell the truth. And the truth is that there’s no case. They have no case.”
A representative from the Manhattan district attorney’s office, who has accused Mr. Trump of 34 felonies, refrained from commenting on his statements.
Even though Mr. Trump has made remarks about testifying, there’s no guarantee he will do so. His statements follow a familiar pattern: We won’t know for certain whether the former president will testify until he does.
According to individuals familiar with his strategy, it’s probable that Mr. Trump will wait to gauge the strength of the prosecution’s case and whether the trial judge intends to limit prosecutors’ ability to cross-examine him.
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In previous instances, Mr. Trump has vacillated after expressing his intention to testify. This includes his civil fraud trial last year, where he withdrew his plan to testify for the defense just a day before he was slated to appear in court.
When summoned to testify by the New York attorney general’s office, the proceedings did not unfold favorably for him. The judge overseeing the case, who held Mr. Trump responsible for scheming to boost his net worth, rebuked the former president for evasive responses and cast doubt on his reliability.
Giving testimony in a criminal trial presents even greater peril. With the upcoming trial, Mr. Trump confronts the looming possibility of a criminal conviction for the first time. The demographic makeup of the Manhattan jury, predominantly Democratic, puts him at a distinct disadvantage.
“Jury selection is largely luck,” Mr. Trump said in his remarks on Friday. “It depends who you get.”
The attorney general, Alvin L. Bragg, alleged that Mr. Trump orchestrated the payment of hush money to Stormy Daniels, the adult film actress, amidst the 2016 election. This $130,000 payment was intended to ensure her silence regarding a purported sexual encounter with Mr. Trump while she was considering sharing her story publicly.
Mr. Trump was charged with falsifying documents to cover up that payment.
Mr. Trump denies the charges, and having had sex with Ms. Daniels. He has cast Mr. Bragg’s case as a politically motivated witch hunt.
Trump Says He Intends to Testify in His Manhattan Criminal Case