Trump Claims He’ll Testify in Stormy Daniels Hush Money Case

As the curtain rises on Donald Trump’s hush money trial, set to begin Monday, the former president says that he plans to testify in his own defense. Trump denies having a sexual encounter with adult film star Stormy Daniels in 2006, as well as the allegation that he later falsified business records while trying to buy her silence for $130,000 ahead of the 2016 election.

Trump took questions on Friday at Mar-a-Lago, from outlets including The New York Times and Politico. He called the trial a “witch hunt” that’s “very bad for the judicial system in New York.” He also claimed that he will speak on his own behalf—a promise he’s made and reneged on before. As the Times notes, testifying during a criminal trial could be an even more dangerous move.

Nevertheless, he persisted.

Read more at The Daily Beast.