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The stories that matter on money and politics in the race for the White House
Donald Trump’s defence rested in the Manhattan “hush money” case on Tuesday without him taking the stand as the historic first criminal trial of a former US president entered its final stage.
The decision — an apparent climbdown by Trump, who had repeatedly vowed that he would testify to clear his name — came at the end of more than four weeks of evidence from prosecutors, during which they called 20 witnesses including Stormy Daniels, the porn actor allegedly paid off by Trump in exchange for her silence over a claimed sexual encounter.
Former Trump fixer Michael Cohen, who organised and facilitated the payments in the run-up to the 2016 presidential election, also testified for several days.
Trump’s defence team, which had sought to undermine Cohen’s credibility during cross-examination, rested its case after calling just two witnesses: a paralegal working with defence counsel, and Robert Costello, a former legal adviser to Cohen and a Trump ally.
Closing arguments are set to begin next week, after which the jury will begin its deliberations. Trump faces 34 charges of falsifying business records.
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