Two weeks ago, Donald Trump stated that he would testify in his hush-money case.
This truly stirred the pot, and the Manhattan DA filed a motion to introduce other evidence if Trump testified, something most experts agree would be a big mistake.
Talking Points…
- Trump says he will testify
- John Dean comments
- Analysis
In a few weeks, the hush-money case in New York will be turned over to the defense. If we are to believe Trump, when that happens, Trump will take the stand to defend himself. Trump made that quite clear earlier in April when asked about this subject. Trump stated:
“I’m testifying. I tell the truth.
“I mean, all I can do is tell the truth. And the truth is that there’s no case. They have no case.”
The moment Trump stated that he would testify, Bragg got the wheels rolling on filing a motion to present evidence from other cases that could discredit Trump’s statements on the stand. Judge Juan Merchan, who has been no friend of Trump’s, shockingly approved the motion by Bragg. According to the ruling, Bragg can discuss:
This ruling was surprising, to say the least, as judges usually do not allow evidence from other cases to be presented unless it is 100% relevant to the current case. What happened in the E. Jean Carroll case and the New York fraud case are irrelevant to this particular case, which is centered around hush-money payments and how they were categorized. While this can used in the appeal, for this case, Merchan is stacking the deck against Trump if he does, in fact, testify.
Believe me, as soon as Trump told the media he was going to testify, his attorneys started to panic. Trump’s habit of talking off the cuff and getting creative with the facts will not play well on the stand, so Dean believes that this is just Trump posturing for his base.
Dean, who was White House counsel during the Nixon administration, stated that this was nothing more than “bravado” for Trump’s base and his image. He explained:
“He is not a good witness. He’s — the few times he’s been on the stand and in depositions at some length, we can see he’s not a good witness.
“So, this is a lot of bravado for his base, because there are, obviously, political implications of great dimension for him, in this trial and the others.”
Like Dean, I tend to think that Trump’s legal team is now trying to convince him to stay off the stand during this trial. Posting on Truth Social is one thing, but if Trump gets caught up in a lie during this trial, he can be hit with perjury charges, and he will not be able to win that on appeal like I believe he will in the Bragg case (if he loses the trial verdict).
There is no friendly face in the courtroom during this trial for Trump, and Merchan is already chomping at the bit to toss Trump in jail. So, if they catch him lying on the stand, it will be game over. Do the intelligent thing, Mr. Trump… sit quietly at the defense table and allow this trial to play out, then appeal the verdict if you lose. That is your best chance at winning this case.
