Donald Trump Labeled A 'Coward' For His Reasons For Not Testifying At Hush Money Trial

Donald Trump is facing criticism for avoiding testifying in his hush money trial after he initially hinted at plans to do so.

Several individuals have slammed his reasons for not testifying, one of which he claimed was the rulings made by the presiding judge.

They claimed that the former president only wanted to avoid perjuring himself on the stand if he was questioned about shady deals he had made in the past.

Trump's hush money trial is slowly nearing its conclusion, following the defense and prosecution resting their case earlier in the week.

While several individuals, including former associates of the former president, testified in the preceding weeks, Trump himself opted out of taking to the stand despite earlier making claims that he was willing to do so.

More recently, he gave reasons why he changed his stance, blaming it on the rulings made by Judge Juan Merchan. However, this has drawn criticism from several social media users, with many claiming that Trump did not want his past lies brought up.

One user countered, "There literally was no ruling that would have prevented him from getting on the stand and telling the truth. Now, perjury, which is standard in all court cases, was the reason he didn't testify. He lies like he drinks Coke."

A second person commented, "He literally just admitted to not testifying because the prosecution would bring up his previous lies and use them against him, lol."

Another person wrote, "So... Basically, Trump didn't testify because there's stuff in his past he doesn't want them to bring up. There's probably truth in his thinking. He's a criminal with lots to hide."

Trump spoke about why he refused to testify during an interview with WABC Radio in New York.

"He made rulings that makes it very difficult to testify," Trump said of Merchan, per The Hill. "Anything I did, anything I did in the past they can bring everything up. And you know what, I've had a great past."

The billionaire mogul reiterated a stance predating his trial as another reason for his decision to abstain from testifying.

"The other reason is because they have no case," the former president added. "In other words, why testify when they have no case … There's no crime … so when you say, 'Why not testify,' they have no case, other than it's a corrupt system."

Social media users also blasted Trump on this claim, as many questioned his ability to speak coherently.

A user remarked, "Trump is unable to speak in complete sentences. He is an incoherent mess," while another added, "No idea what he said. Went about 20 different directions."

Popular podcast host Noel Caster claimed, "Trump didn't testify because he's a coward, and he doesn't need to as his followers all believe his BS anyway. It's the same reason he won't debate."

"Plenty of legal reasons why Trump isn't testifying. There are pathological reasons too, which add to the risk of him perjuring himself. But there's a simpler reason underlying all. He's a coward. He spends enormous effort to feign otherwise. Cowards don't like to testify," an account on X noted.

Next up on the agenda for Trump's hush money trial is the pivotal phase of jury deliberations, scheduled to commence in the forthcoming week.

The 12-man team, made up of seven men and five women, is required to reach a unanimous decision to determine Trump's guilt or acquittal on 34 counts of falsifying business records with intent to commit another crime filed against him by the prosecution.

Typically, there's no set limit on jury deliberations, but a decision is generally expected within a week of deliberations commencing.

When the jury fails to reach a unanimous decision and is not open to further reviewing the case, it's deemed a "hung jury," necessitating the judge to declare a mistrial.

Following a mistrial declaration, the prosecution may opt to retry Trump or decide against pursuing another trial, effectively dismissing the charges.

Legal experts suggest that if Trump is ultimately convicted, he could potentially face more than a decade behind bars. The charges against him are class E felony offenses, each carrying a maximum sentence of four years.

Theoretically, this could amount to a staggering 136 years of imprisonment, though New York law imposes a 20-year sentencing cap for such offenses; additionally, whether the sentences run concurrently or consecutively would be at the discretion of the judge overseeing the case.

Given Trump's status as a first-time offender, a considerably lighter sentence may be handed down. Furthermore, the former president is anticipated to appeal any such decision, prolonging the legal battle, just like he has in many of his prior cases.

If the initial appeal fails, he would take the case to the Appellate Division in Manhattan and ultimately to the state's highest court, the Court of Appeals in Albany.

The billionaire mogul was recently slammed after he posted a video on his Truth Social that seemingly had a Nazi-centered narrative.

The video had several shocking headlines from mocked-up newspapers predicting a future of Trump winning the upcoming presidential elections later this year. One stood out for its remark, which read, "Industrial strength significantly increased, driven by the creation of a unified Reich."

Social media users were quick to point out that the "Unified Reich" phrase mirrored Hitler's Nazi Germany and should not be associated with a presidential candidate.

After hours of being slammed online, the 30-second clip was removed from Trump's page.

While he has yet to comment on the issue personally, his campaign secretary, Karoline Leavitt, claimed that the video was "not a campaign video," contrary to what many online have claimed it to be.

"It was created by a random account online and reposted by a staffer who clearly did not see the word while the President was in court," Leavitt said in a statement to AP News.