CNN legal analyst says he would ‘beg’ Trump not to testify in hush money case

A CNN legal analyst said Wednesday that he would “implore” former President Trump not to testify in his hush money trial in New York, which is scheduled to begin next week.

Ellie Honig told host Jake Tapper on CNN’s “The Read” on Wednesday that Trump’s lawyers should prevent the former president from testifying in the hush money case. Trump’s lawyers are trying to delay the start of Monday’s case, but their efforts have so far failed.

“So, on that second point, I would first ask him not to take a position like this. We have no idea what Donald Trump will do. The chances of him getting on the witness stand… “I think it’s low, Jake, but in movies and TV it seems like defendants are always on the stand, but in criminal cases that’s very rare,” Honig said.

Honig noted that Trump testified in a New York civil fraud case last year, which turned out to be “terrifying” for the former president.

“So it’s always the prerogative of the defendant. He always has the right to testify, and he always has the right not to testify. If any reason and sane judgment prevails here, I think he won’t take the stand.” I’m looking forward to it,” Honig said.

Tapper also noted that Trump is having “some difficulty operating in court,” and Honig discussed how Trump’s lawyers should prepare Trump to survive this trial. asked. Honig said he would “implore” President Trump to “behave.”

“The jury sits just a few feet away from you. They’re watching and evaluating everything you do. And when you put your head down and complain and throw a tantrum, , they’re going to see that as going against you,” Honig said.

President Trump faces 34 charges of falsifying business records over reimbursement to then-fixer Michael Cohen, who paid porn actress Stormy Daniels $130,000 to keep quiet about her alleged affair with Trump. is being asked. The former president denies his affair and maintains his innocence.