Donald Trump’s lawyers have rested their defence without the former US president entering the witness box in his New York hush money trial. “Your honour, the defence rests,” Trump lawyer Todd Blanche told the judge following evidence from a former federal prosecutor who had been called to attack the credibility of the prosecution’s key witness. The jury was sent home for a week, until May 28, when closing arguments are expected, but the lawyers returned to the courtroom to discuss how the judge will instruct jurors on deliberations, a sort of road map meant to help them apply the law to the evidence.
The two sides haggled over word choices, legal phrases and descriptions of campaign-related issues. Trump did not stop to speak as he left the courthouse and ignored a question about why he was not giving evidence. The Republican presumptive presidential nominee had previously said he wanted to enter the witness box to defend himself against what he claims are politically motivated charges.
As he left a news conference with supporters of the former president outside the courthouse, Trump’s son Donald Trump Jr defended his father’s decision not to give evidence. “There’d be absolutely no reason, no justification to do that whatsoever. Everyone sees it for the sham that it is,” the younger Trump said.
After more than four weeks of evidence, jurors could begin deliberating as soon as next week to decide whether Trump is guilty of 34 felony counts of falsifying busi.
