Trump insiders say he is unlikely to testify in hush money trial

Donald Trump almost certainly will not testify in his criminal hush money trial as the case heads towards jury deliberations later this week, according to sources.

Four people close to the former president told The Washington Post on Sunday that it is unlikely that the former president will take the stand to defend himself from 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in a bid to cover up a hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels.

Mr Trump’s abstention from testimony may hardly be a surprise.

Despite his boastful assertations that he would testify (as recently as last month), the former president’s own legal team is widely thought to consider that route to be a mistake.

Ty Cobb, the president’s former White House counsel, even went as far as saying that – if he was still Mr Trump’s attorney – he would threaten to resign if he went forward with his desires to testify.

Mr Trump has repeatedly toyed with the idea of taking the stand in his first criminal trial.

Days before the trial began, he said he “absolutely” planned to do so.

“Yeah, I would testify, absolutely,” he said at a press conference in Palm Beach.

“I’m testifying. I tell the truth, I mean, all I can do is tell the truth. And the truth is that there is no case,” he added.

But later, after sitting through seven days of the trial, Mr Trump appeared to get cold feet.

Calling into right-wing network Newsmax, he was asked if he still planned to testify based on what he had seen so far in the courtroom.

Appearing much more hesitant, Mr Trump responded: “Well I would if it’s necessary. Right now, I don’t know if you heard about today. Today was just incredible. People are saying – the experts, I’m talking about legal scholars and experts – they’re