Donald Trump did not testify at his criminal trial, where a verdict could come as early as the end of next week.
Read: Samuel Alito Is The Insurrectionist Threat To Democracy On The Supreme Court
Trump did not take a stand: Trump publicly raised the prospect that he could testify in his own defense, but his lawyers always seemed to have discounted that possibility.
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Closing arguments scheduled for Tuesday: Now the jury gets a week off thanks to the Memorial Day holiday, with closing arguments set for next Tuesday. A ruling is possible at the end of next week.
Pretend that tough guy Trump would never testify. If Trump had taken the stand, the cross-examination would have been brutal and likely would have earned him a criminal conviction and ended his presidential campaign. Trump lacks the self-discipline to testify.
The hush money trial could reach a verdict before next weekend. It’s impossible to predict what a jury will think or what they will do, but prosecutors presented nearly two dozen witnesses and an extensive paper trail documenting the scheme and crimes. The ex-president has complained about the judge and the trial process at every opportunity, so it certainly appears he is scheduling the seats for an appeal after he is convicted.
However, the jury may not believe that the crimes have been proven to be related to Trump, or that they are not crimes.
The trial phase will end when the jury returns its verdict, but if Trump is convicted, his legal costs will rise even further as the appeals process begins.
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