Defense rests without Donald Trump testifying in criminal hush-money trial Judge Juan Merchan adjourns trial until next Tuesday, when the court will reconvene to hear closing arguments Wed 22 May 2024
The defense rested in Donald Trump’s criminal trial on Tuesday, without the former president himself testifying.
Trump had previously railed about being silenced and falsely claimed he was not allowed to testify, but ultimately elected of his own volition not to take the stand in his own defense.
Trump’s decision came without fanfare. The move was not surprising – defendants in criminal cases rarely testify, because they would be subject to cross-examination, during which they could easily say something that harms their defense – but followed several instances of Trump claiming he was not allowed to do so.
