According to Mediaite, donald Trump has unequivocally declared that he will not testify in his New York fraud trial, contradicting his lawyer’s previous assurance that he would indeed take the stand. This reversal is a notable departure from the earlier commitment made by Trump’s lawyer, Alina Habba, who insisted on Thursday that the former president would testify on Monday, despite her advice against it and the recently reinstated gag order.
Trump’s appearance in court last Thursday involved heated remarks against Judge Arthur Engoron and his legal adversaries amid the ongoing $250 million civil trial. Initially scheduled to testify again on Monday, Trump announced his decision to forego this plan on Sunday. In a social media tirade on Truth Social, he criticized the case once more in capitalized text.
The trial is set to resume on Tuesday, with Trump’s refusal to testify standing in contrast to his lawyer’s earlier statements. Habba had conveyed Trump’s strong desire to take the stand despite her advice against it, citing his firm opposition to the court proceedings and his allegiance to what she referred to as the “old America.” Despite the legal complexities and the reinstated gag order, Habba had asserted that Trump, unafraid and unwavering, would willingly subject himself to questioning on Monday.
“HE STILL WANTS TO TAKE THE STAND EVEN THOUGH MY ADVICE IS, AT THIS POINT, YOU SHOULD NEVER TAKE THE STAND WITH A GAG ORDER. BUT HE IS SO FIRMLY AGAINST WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THIS COURT AND SO FIRMLY FOR THE OLD AMERICA THAT WE KNOW, NOT THIS AMERICA, THAT HE WILL TAKE THAT STAND ON MONDAY,” HABBA SAID THURSDAY. “HE WILL OPEN HIMSELF UP TO WHATEVER THEY WANT BECAUSE HE’S NOT AFRAID. PEOPLE THAT ARE AFRAID COWER. PRESIDENT TRUMP DOESN’T COWER. WE’LL BE BACK ON MONDAY.”
Trump’s decision not to testify adds a new layer of uncertainty to the trial, signaling a departure from the initially declared intention and emphasizing the unpredictability of the legal proceedings surrounding the former president.
