Trump chooses not to testify at hush-money trial

Former U.S. presidentDonaldTrumpopted not to testify athis criminal hush-money trial in New York on Tuesday, bringing his defence to a quick conclusion and clearing the way for jurors to begin deliberations next week.

Trumphad stoked speculation for weeks about whether he would take the stand to defend himself against charges of falsifying business records to cover up a hush-money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 presidential election.

By testifying, he might have sought to personally convince a panel of 12 jurors and six alternates that his aim was to protect his family from embarrassment, not bury a story about an alleged sexual encounter damaging to his political prospects.

But criminal defendants typically do not testify attheir own trials, as it exposes them to probing questions from prosecutors.

Trump would have been at risk of perjury if he lied under oath.

Indefiant and ramblingtestimony ata civil fraud trial last year,Trumpwas reprimanded by the judge and ultimately ordered to pay $355 million US in penalties. A similar performance in this case could have alienated jurors.

"He could tank his whole case with one outburst," retired New York judge George Grasso said in an interview last week.

Trump, 77, has pleaded not guilty to 34 charges of falsifying business records. He has denied wrongdoing and said he never had sex with Daniels, who testified in detail about a 2006 liaison she said she had withTrump.

Prosecutors say the altered records covered up election law and tax law violations since the money was essentially an unreported contribution toTrump's campaign that elevate the crimes from misdemeanours to felonies punishable by up to four years in prison.

Outside the courtroom,Trumphas criticized the judge overseeing the case as corruptand said prosecutors were trying to hurt his effort to win back the White House as a Republican fromDemocratic President Joe Bidenin theNov. 5 election.

Trump's legal team called two witnesses on his behalf.

Justice Juan Merchan said jurors would return next Tuesday, following the three-day Memorial Day weekend, to hear closing arguments, with deliberations likely beginning the following day.

Trump's lawyers had asked Merchan to dismiss the case before it reaches the jury, arguing that it rests on thetestimonyof a witness, the estranged formerTrumpfixerMichael Cohen, who has a well-documented history of lying.

WATCH | Michael Cohen accused by Trump's lawyers of lying on the stand:

Trump lawyers accuse Michael Cohen of lying on the stand

4 months ago

Duration 2:01

Donald Trump's defence team at the former president's hush-money trial accused star prosecution witness Michael Cohen of lying on the stand regarding a phone call Cohen says he had with Trump about Stormy Daniels.

Such dismissal motions are rarely successful, and Merchan indicated on Monday that he was inclined to let jurors assess Cohen's credibility for themselves. Prosecutors say histestimonyis buttressed by other evidence.

Cohen testified that he spoke repeatedly withTrumpabout the payment to Daniels in the final stretch ofTrump's successful 2016 presidential campaign, when the businessman-turned-politician was facing multiple accusations of sexual misconduct.

Cohen saidTrumpworried that Daniels would hurt his appeal to women voters if she went public with her story.