donald trumpThe criminal trial will resume this morning in New York City, where michael cohen is configured to return to the witness stand for further exchanges with the defense lawyer. There is great uncertainty about what exactly will happen after the former Trump fixer’s testimony concludes, but it is possible that jurors will hear closing arguments in the coming days.
But before that happens, a related question looms over us: Will the jurors also hear from the defendant?
The presumptive Republican presidential candidate Said he wants to testifyalthough your lawyers latest movements suggest He won’t actually testify. It was in this context that The New York Times reported on the weekend:
“Take a stand, Donald, or admit you’re a coward,” Third Way’s ad declares.
To be sure, there are still some ambiguities surrounding the plan. Early last week, judge Juan Merchan asked Todd Blancheone of Trump’s lawyers: “Do you have any indication as to whether your client will testify?” White responded“No.”
A few days later, the defense lawyer admitted that the plan was still uncertain, describing this as an issue “we need to reflect on”.
But the Third Way announcement serves as a timely reminder that many Trump critics desperately hope he testifies — because they assume it would be a disaster for the Republican nominee.
In fact, a politician report noted this morning: “[A]Among legal experts and even Trump’s political allies, there is already a unanimous verdict: he would be a fool to testify.”
There is no great mystery as to why: Trump would share his side of the story under questioning from his own lawyers, but the moment he faced questions from prosecutors, the former president would likely lie under oath, lose his temper and lash out violently. while also inviting another contempt citation.
Facing a series of brutal questions about his alleged sexual encounter with Stormy Daniels and his treatment of women probably wouldn’t do him any favors either.
All of this means that Trump has little to gain and everything to lose by testifying, which is precisely why Third Way and others hope to goad him into making a dangerous decision.
My MSNBC colleague Katie S. Phang added in a column this morning, “Trump’s past record in giving sworn testimony has been poor, to say the least. … Considering how badly things turned out for him, Trump’s testimony is a failed proposition.”
Watch this space.
This article was originally published in MSNBC.com
