Ex-Trump attorney: Former president’s testimony would ‘significantly increase’ conviction chances

Timothy Parlatore, an ex-attorney for former President Trump. said in an interview Monday that he thinks Trump’s chances at conviction “significantly increase” if he decides to testify in the hush money criminal trial.

In an interview on CNN’s “The Source,” Parlatore said he would advise the former president against testifying in the trial, which began in earnest Monday after jury selection last week, but he said that decision should be made as the trial progresses.

“I don’t think he should. Will he? Obviously, that’s his choice,” Parlatore told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, who asked whether Parlatore expects Trump to testify.

“That’s a decision that really comes down to the wire, based on how the trial has progressed up to that point of: Is it worth it? Is it worth taking the risk to have him testify? Or do they think that they’ve made their point without it?” Parlatore continued. “I personally would suggest that he probably should not.”

The attorney added that the risks of testifying could far outweigh the benefits, stressing the importance of the jury believing his testimony.

Asked whether it would increase or decrease the chances of a conviction if Trump testifies, Parlatore said, “I think it would significantly increase.”

“Because if the jury disbelieves him on anything, however small, that’s something they’re going to hold against him and be much more likely to convict,” he added.

Opening statements began Monday in the trial, the first of four against the former president, after the 12-person jury was seated by the end of last week.

Trump currently faces 34 criminal counts of falsifying business records in connection to reimbursements to his ex-fixer, Michael Cohen, who paid porn actress Stormy Daniels $130,000 ahead of the 2016 election to stay quiet about an alleged affair she had with the former president a decade earlier.

It marks the first criminal trial of a former or sitting president in U.S. history. Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges.