Donald Trump appears to be ready to violate the first rule in a criminal trial… you never take the stand.
Trump believes he is innocent of all charges, but taking the stand will open the door to prosecutors who will be looking for ways to trip him up.
And Trump says one wrong thing, he could dig himself a much deeper hole. Even so, he plans on taking the stand, reported NBC News.
I Will Take the Stand
Trump did an interview with conservative podcaster Hugh Hewitt on Wednesday when he dropped the bombshell.
Hewitt asked Trump, “Will you testify in your own defense?”
Trump immediately replied, “Oh, yes, absolutely,” reported ABC News.
Hewitt seemed a bit stunned by the answer, clarifying, “You will take the stand?”
Trump again responded, “That I would do. That I look forward to, because that’s just like Russia, Russia, Russia. … I look forward to testifying. At trial, I’ll testify.”
I have to imagine that Trump’s legal team will try to talk him out of this, especially in the January 6 case.
If Trump makes one misstep, and the prosecutors will be looking for one, they can slap him with insurrection charges and disqualify him from the election.
For instance, if he says he will pardon the January 6 defendants who have been found guilty, prosecutors can say he is giving aid and comfort to insurrectionists, which would then bring the 14th Amendment into play.
I have seen conservative publications celebrating the idea of Trump taking the stand, but this is just a bad idea, especially with Trump’s habit of just making stuff up on the fly.
He will be going for zingers and headlines, and prosecutors will be looking to bury him.
I beg of you, Mr. Trump, stay in your seat and off the stand.
