Trump says he’ll TESTIFY at trial: Ex-President says he’ll ‘absolutely’ take the stand in his own defense – before waving to crowds as he leaves Trump Tower

• Trump told Hugh Hewitt he is ‘looking forward’ to taking the stand in his defense
• However, he believes that none of the four criminal cases will make it to trial  
• READ: Fulton County holds first live TV hearing in Georgia election fraud case  

Donald Trump has said he would ‘absolutely’ testify in his own defense as part of one of his four criminal trials.

The former president made the stunning admission he is willing to take the stand in an interview with radio host Hugh Hewitt on Wednesday.

‘I look forward to testifying. At trial, I’ll testify,’ he told Hewitt. ‘Because that’s just like Russia, Russia, Russia’, he said, referring to the investigating his campaign was colluding with the Kremlin before the 2016 election.

But he believes none of the cases will make it that far, as they will ultimately be dismissed. 

‘They’ll get dismissed, but we’re going to be asking, we’re going to be asking for dismissals of these politically motivated cases,’ Trump said.

Donald Trump has said he would ‘absolutely’ testify in his own defense as part of one of his four criminal trials

‘This is a scam. This is election interference,’ he contended.

Trump also reiterated that he had ‘no interest’ in taking a plea deal, especially if a condition was that he would drop out of the 2024 race.

Hewitt also tried to press him on the classified documents case, and asked: ‘Did you direct anyone to move the boxes, Mr. President?’

The former president is accused of moving more than 300 boxes of classified documents to Mar-a-Lago.

‘I don’t talk about anything. You know why? Because I’m allowed to do whatever I want. I come under the Presidential Records Act’.

Attorney Scott Grubman, who is defending Ken Chesebro, argues before Fulton County Superior Judge Scott McAfee. Television cameras were allowed into a hearing in one of the cases against Donald Trump for the first time on Wednesday in Atlanta, Georgia

Trump, seen here in his Fulton County booking photo, entered a not guilty plea in a court filing so did not have to attend an arraignment scheduled for Wednesday morning

A defiant Trump made the statement just hours before DailyMail.com captured him waving to crowds in Manhattan as he left Trump Tower.

In Georgia, the first televised hearing in his election subversion case took place. 

Trump was missing from the proceedings.

He pleaded not guilty to charges he tried to subvert the 2020 election results and waived his arraignment.

But it was the first indication that the case could be a marathon. 

Prosecutors told the judge the case for the 19 defendants – including Trump – could take four months.

They also revealed they want to call 150 witnesses in the hearing with attorneys for Sidney Powell and Kenneth Chesebro.

Prosecutors want to bring the huge case to trial as quickly as possible. On Wednesday Judge Scott McAfee asked them to set out exactly how long they will need in court.

Attorney Brian Rafferty, who represents Sidney Powell, argued that her case was very different from that of Ken Chesebro and they should not be heard as part of the same trial

Trump is accused with 18 co-defendants. Prosecutors want to move fast, opening their case on October 23. But legal difficulties remain as some defendants say they need more time

‘Firstly, we will contend that a trial of these 19 co-defendants will take four months and that does not include jury selection,’ said Special Prosecutor Nathan Wade.

‘And it’s also predicated upon whether or not of course, the defendants elected to testify or not, but four months is our is our time estimate.

‘In terms of the number of witnesses there are in excess of 150 witnesses that the state intends to call.’

McAfee, who was broadcasting the hearing on his own YouTube challenge, countered that it may well take twice as long. 

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis last month used the state’s anti-racketeering law to obtain a vast 41-count indictment and has made clear that she wants to try all 19 defendants together. But the maneuvering and delays have already begun amid bewildering legal challenges. 

Their target of October 23 seems a stretch already. 

On Wednesday, it was the turn of attorneys for pro-Trump lawyers Kenneth Chesebro and Sidney Powell made their arguments to have their cases tried rapidly, but separately.

Others want their cases tried slowly, but separately. 

The hearing was the first under new rules allowing in TV cameras – the first time in the four cases against Trump. 

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