Former President Donald Trump has announced that he will not testify in his own defense at the New York civil fraud trial. Trump took to his social media platform, Truth Social, to make the announcement, stating that he had already testified to everything and saw no need to appear again. He claimed that the trial was a "complete & total election interference" and a "witch hunt" orchestrated by the Biden campaign. The trial, led by New York Attorney General Letitia James, accuses Trump of exaggerating his worth to obtain better loan and insurance terms.

The former president's decision not to testify came as a surprise as he was expected to take the stand on Monday as one of the final defense witnesses. Trump's team clashed with Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron multiple times during the trial, and Trump himself briefly took the witness stand in October when Engoron wanted to question him about possible violations of a gag order. However, the judge fined Trump for violating the gag order and did not buy his claims that he was referring to his former lawyer, Michael Cohen.

Throughout the trial, Trump has attended eight out of the 42 days of proceedings, although his presence is not required. His son, Eric Trump, was also expected to testify but did not do so as planned. An expert witness called by Trump's lawyers, Eli Bartov, a professor of accounting at New York University, testified that there was no evidence of accounting fraud in Trump's financial statements. Bartov's testimony is expected to conclude on Tuesday.

The trial, which threatens Trump's real estate empire, has been marked by Trump's attacks on Engoron, James, and the entire trial process. In a previous ruling, Engoron found Trump liable on one of the main fraud claims by the Attorney General's office and revoked the Trump Organization's business licenses. However, the revocation has been put on hold until the conclusion of the trial. The Attorney General's office will present a brief rebuttal case, and Engoron is not expected to render his verdict until late January.

Trump's decision not to testify again comes after an accounting expert testified that the Attorney General's case had no merit and that there was no evidence of fraud in Trump's financial statements. Trump shared details of his reasoning for not testifying, claiming that the Attorney General's office undervalued his properties and failed to acknowledge his tax payments. He called the trial a "witch hunt" and accused the judge and the Attorney General of being partisan and biased against him.

Court officials confirmed that proceedings will resume on Tuesday, with Bartov expected to wrap up his testimony. The Attorney General's office will then have an opportunity for rebuttals, and both sides will have time to file briefs before closing arguments take place on January 11. The trial seeks to hold Trump accountable for alleged financial fraud and seeks penalties of over $300 million, as well as a ban on Trump conducting business in New York.