OJ Simpson’s ‘Dream Team’ Lawyer Says Trump Shouldn’t Take the Stand in Hush Money Trial: ‘I Would Have to Quit the Case’ | Video

“The first question on cross-examination will be, ‘Did you have sex with Ms. Daniels?'” Dershowitz explains

Lawyer Alan Dershowitz, whose background includes defending Donald Trump from impeachment and being one of O.J. Simpson’s infamous murder trial “Dream Team,” said it would be in Trump’s best interest to avoid testifying in his Stormy Daniels hush money trial. Dershowitz added that he personally would step down from the case if the former president didn’t take the advice — just like he threatened to do when Simpson wanted to take the stand.

Speaking as a guest on “The Megyn Kelly Show,” Dershowitz compared Trump’s situation to when he represented the late football star and alleged murderer Simpson. According to Dershowitz, Simpson also wanted to testify in his own defense, which the lawyer advised against.

“In the O.J. Simpson case, he wanted to take the stand. I told him I would quit the case if he took the stand,” Dershowitz said, “that I could not watch on the witness stand being asked if he beat his wife because we knew he did — those pictures — and he would deny it.”

“He didn’t take the stand, he won, and when he did take the stand in the civil case, he lost,” Dershowitz said. “[Trump’s] lawyers will tell him not to, and I think they will persuade him.”

Earlier in the interview, Dershowitz said that despite Trump’s current claims otherwise, “Of course he won’t testify — 100% certainty his lawyers will tell him he can’t testify.” The lawyer added that he would respond to Trump testifying the same way he would have if O.J. testified: “If he were my client and he didn’t take my advice and decided to testify, I would have to quit the case.”

Dershowitz went on to explain that in the event that Trump did take the stand, he’d only have so many options, and all of them would more than likely implicate him in the case.

“The first question on cross-examination will be, ‘Did you have sex with Miss Daniels?’ There are three possible answers: ‘No,’ which gets him indicted for perjury. Perjury, a really serious case,” Dershowitz said. “‘Yes,’ which is obviously not helpful. Or, ‘I don’t remember; I’ve had sex with so many porn stars. I really can’t remember.’ There is no possibly good answer to that question.”

Despite what his legal team might suggest, though, Dershowitz noted that Trump does have a right to share his own testimony.

“Now, he will want to take the stand, and in the end, he has the right to take the stand,” Dershowitz said. “By the way, the judge may have to — under New York law — if he doesn’t testify, may have to call him up and say, ‘You know you have a right to testify — even if your lawyers tell you they don’t want you to testify, you have a right to testify. It’s your right, not your lawyers’ right. But prediction: he won’t take the stand.”

Trump’s hush money trial began April 15. Trump allegedly instructed his former lawyer Michael Cohen to pay off adult film star Stormy Daniels to keep her quiet about an alleged affair between the two, covering up the payments by falsely logging them as Cohen’s legal fees.

Though Trump has had sitdowns with Kelly, Dershowitz’s last piece of advice for the former president was to not be interviewed by the commentator.

“Nobody’s who’s guilty should ever sit down with you,” Dershowitz said. “Let me be very clear about that. If you’re innocent — I sat down with you when I was accused of misconduct. I sat down with you. I volunteered to sit down with you because I was completely innocent. If I were guilty, you’re the last person I’d want to have cross-examine me.”

Comments