- Donald Trump announced Friday that he plans to testify at his secret trial, which is scheduled to begin Monday.
- Trump previously declined to testify at his civil fraud trial.
- The former president could face risky cross-examination if he testifies.
Former President Donald Trump said Friday he will “absolutely” testify at his upcoming secret trial in Manhattan, which is scheduled to begin jury selection Monday morning.
But Trump has not always kept his promises when it comes to testimony.
The first of Trump’s four ongoing criminal trials is set to begin next week in Manhattan state court, where the former president faces allegations that he falsified 34 business records to conceal a secret $130 payment $000 to porn star Stormy Daniels days before the 2016 election.
At a news conference Friday at Mar-a-Lago, Trump told reporters he planned to testify at the trial, which he called a “scam” and a “witch hunt.”
“I’m testifying. I’m telling the truth. All I can do is tell the truth and the truth is they have no proof,” he said.
Trump’s commitment to testify, however, is far from guaranteeing that he will actually speak. People familiar with his plan told The New York Times that Trump would likely wait to decide whether to testify until he sees the strength of the case presented by District Attorney Alvin Bragg. The former president will also likely make a decision based on whether the judge allows prosecutors to cross-examine him on the stand, the outlet reported.
At his December fraud trial in New York civil court, Trump canceled his testimony just a day before he was supposed to testify a second time in the case — an abrupt change from his lawyers’ previous insistence for Trump to testify again.
The judge in that case ultimately found Trump liable for trying to inflate his net worth, ordering him to pay nearly $355 million plus interest.
Trump is not required to testify in the secrecy case and cross-examination could leave him open to questions about several aspects of the case, including the nature of his relationship with Daniels. If convicted, Trump could face probation or prison time.
He pleaded not guilty to the charges against him and said he never had a sexual relationship with Daniels.
A spokesperson for Trump did not immediately respond to Business Insider’s request for comment.
Earlier this year, Trump testified in the defamation lawsuit filed against him by columnist E. Jean Carroll, who accused him of sexually assaulting her. The judge in that case significantly limited what Trump was allowed to say on the stand and subsequently ordered him to pay him $83.3 million.
Trump ran out of options this week after repeatedly trying to delay the start of the secret trial. Three Manhattan appeals judges rejected three different emergency delay requests Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
Jury selection — which Trump called “largely luck” during his Friday news conference — is expected to begin early Monday.
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