Trump defense rests at New York hush money trial, ex-president doesn’t testify

• Defense lawyers for Donald Trump rested their case at his criminal hush money trial without calling the former president to testify.
• Trump's attorneys rested after finishing questioning criminal defense lawyer Robert Costello, the second of the witnesses they called to the stand.
• Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan blasted Costello on Monday for his "contemptuous" attitude toward Merchan from the witness stand.
• Costello testified about dealings with former Trump fixer Michael Cohen after the FBI raided Cohen's office and home for an investigation into his hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels.

Defense lawyers for Donald Trump rested their case at his criminal hush money trial Tuesday without calling the former president to testify.

Trump's decision not to take the witness stand was not a surprise, as testifying carries serious risks for any criminal defendant, particularly for one with a tendency to speak off the cuff and undercut his prior statements, as he has shown in testimony in other, civil matters.

Trump had previously said he was "absolutely" willing to testify in the case, where he is accused of falsifying business records related to reimbursing his then-personal lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen for paying porn star Stormy Daniels $130,000 to keep quiet about an alleged sexual tryst with Trump.

"Your honor, the defense rests," Trump's lawyer Todd Blanche told Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan.

Trump's attorneys rested after finishing questioning criminal defense lawyer Robert Costello, who was one of only two witnesses they called to the stand.

Closing arguments in the case are scheduled to begin May 28.

Trump is the first U.S. president, former or otherwise, ever to stand trial in a