Internet claims Donald Trump 'chickened out' from opportunity as he says 'I wanted to testify' in hush money trial

MANHATTAN, NEW YORK: Former President Donald Trump on Friday, May 31, claimed that he wanted to testify in the hush money trial but was advised against by his attorney, fearing prosecution would turn it against him. 

Another reason why Trump did not testify, according to him, was Judge Juan Merchan allowing the prosecution to "go into eveything" he has ever been involved in.

Donald Trump says he 'didn't care' about perjury and wanted to testify 

Speaking to reporters at Trump Tower on Friday, 31 May, Trump claimed, "I would have testified. I wanted to testify."

Trump said his lawyers advised him not to "testify because they'll get you in something that you said slightly wrong and then they sue you for perjury," Trump said.

"But I didn't care about that, I wanted to," he continued, adding "But the judge allowed them to go into everything that I was ever involved in."

Donald Trump says judge would have allowed prosecutors to touch cases outside hush money trial 

Trump reasoned that had he testified the judge would have allowed prosecutors to touch every case and everything he was ever involved in to determine where else he was at fault. 

"Not this case," he continued. "Everything that I was ever involved in, which is a first. In other words, you could go into every single thing that I ever did -- was he a bad boy here? Was he a bad boy there?" he added.

Trump claimed he would have loved to testify to this day and even discussed this with his lawyer. 

"I would have loved to have testified -- to this day, I would have liked to have testified," Trump said, according to Fox News.

"But you would have been, you would have said something out of whack like it was a beautiful sunny day and it was actually raining out," Trump said.

Trump claimed the case was "very important, far beyond me." "This is bigger than me. This is bigger than my presidency," he said.

Internet reacts to Donald Trump's claim he wanted to testify in hush money trial 

There were mixed reactions on the internet to claims made by Trump about testifying in hush money trial.

Some sections of the internet suggested sticking to truth should not have made him worry while others said he "chickened out" for fear of cross examinatation. 

"No need to worry about perjury so long as you stick to the truth while testifying. I heard," wrote one on X. 

"I hate when my inclination to lie gets me in trouble too," related one.  However, one suggested, "It is a lot easier not to say the wrong thing when you're just... telling the truth. Only liars struggle with this sort of thing."

 "Oh… you mean if you perjured yourself. Yea. That’d suck," one more wrote. "I would have testified provided there was no cross examination!!!" joked one. 

 "...If Trump were telling the truth he would have taken the stand and testified. He’s only got a big mouth in front of the camera but given the opportunity to speak to the jury he chickened out..." wrote one. 

Another argued about the conviction saying, "I don't think anyone else would have been charged with felonies for improperly classifying cost entries on his expenses based in large part the testimony of someone who lied to courts before and testified to embezzling from the defendant…"

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.