Defense rests without Trump testimony in hush money case

• Trump, who has denied wrongdoing, was charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records in connection with a $130,000 hush money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels over an alleged sexual encounter.

State of play: Trump's legal team rested their case after calling Robert Costello, an attorney who once advised Trump's former fixer Michael Cohen.

• That followed several days of testimony from Cohen who detailed Trump's plan to pay Daniels $130,000 to keep quiet about the alleged encounter.
• The defense team tried to undermine Cohen's credibility by painting him as disobedient and obsessed with Trump.

Catch up quick: Trump had repeatedly said he intended to testify in the trial only to falsely claim a gag order that prevented him from attacking witnesses and jurors also barred him from testifying.

• Judge Juan Merchan quickly clarified that nothing in the gag order would prevent Trump from taking the stand in his own defense.
• Had he testified, that would have opened Trump up to potentially devastating cross examination that could have damaged his credibility as he seeks reelection.

Zoom out: Throughout the trial, Trump's lawyers unsuccessfully filed a flurry of legal requests in pursuit of aggressive tactics to keep their client happy while trying to win over public opinion.

• Merchan shot down two mistrial motions by Trump's team and threatened the former president with jail time for violating the gag order in the case multiple times.

Go deeper:

• Trump appears unlikely to testify as defense indicates they could case rest Monday
• Why Trump's attorneys keep filing motions that are destined to fail