Alina Habba says Trump is in ‘good spirits’ during hush money trial and teases he may testify himself as case enters fifth week
Donald Trump’s lawyer Alina Habba claimed Monday that the former president wants to testify in the hush money trial, but she stopped short of promising he would take the stand under oath.
Habba, who represented Trump in his civil fraud case and was in Manhattan Criminal Court for the trial, appeared on Fox News where she was asked whether the ex-president would testify or not.
“Well, he needs to listen to his lawyers,” Habba said. “It’s not so much what he wants to do.”
‘We know he wants to testify. He is willing, he can… there is nothing to hide at all,” Habba claimed. “He’s absolutely willing to tell the truth.”
Trump lawyer Alina Habba appears on Fox News where she claims Trump ‘wants to testify’ but ‘will listen to his lawyers’
On Monday afternoon, the prosecution rested its case after nearly five weeks of testimony, and Trump’s defense team began calling its witnesses.
Todd Blanche, Trump’s attorney, last week declined to rule out the possibility that Trump would testify in his defense.
But on Monday, Blanche indicated that the defense would drop its case very quickly, indicating that Trump would not be called to testify.
Habba claimed on Fox News that the ex-president’s possible testimony would come soon “because he had no part in this.”
But taking the stand would expose Trump to cross-examination, where prosecutors could delve into his other lawsuits and ask the ex-president questions about his alleged affair with porn star Stormy Daniels.
Former President Donald Trump in Manhattan Criminal Court on May 20
Lawyer Alina Habba returns to the courtroom on May 20, 2024 after a brief break in Trump’s hush money case
A sketch of Trump in court on May 20 as prosecutor Susan Hoffinger questioned witness Michael Cohen in the hush money trial during diversion
Trump faces 34 charges of falsifying company records.
Prosecutors allege he tried to cover up a $130,000 payment to Daniels to keep her quiet before the 2016 presidential election about their sexual encounter a decade earlier, while Trump was married.
The ex-president has sent mixed messages about whether he would take a stand in his own defense.
Last month, Trump “absolutely” told reporters he would testify, but he later backtracked and even falsely claimed he would not be allowed to testify.
In recent days he was not told publicly whether he still wanted to testify on his own behalf and ignored shouted questions from reporters at the courthouse asking him if he planned to testify.
Habba condemned Judge Juan Merchan and the prosecution team in the case. When asked how Trump is doing, she said the biggest frustration for the ex-president is the gag order that limits what he can say about witnesses.
She noted that he does speak to reporters at the courthouse, but is limited in what he can say and cannot respond to witnesses who speak out.
She also argued that he is being selectively prosecuted and locked up in court every day while he should be campaigning.
“It’s unfair,” Habba said. “Despite everything, he’s actually in a very good mood.”
Habba also said the defense team did a “pretty good job” when it came to poking holes in key witness Michael Cohen’s testimony in the case.
Cohen’s testimony concluded Monday after more than three days of grueling testimony.