Ex-Trump Attorney Says Former President Should Shut His Mouth During Sentencing: ‘You Don’t Want Him to Talk’

Tim Parlatore, a former lawyer for Donald Trump, said the ex-president should most definitely not speak during his sentencing on July 11.

On Thursday, a jury in Manhattan found Trump guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records to conceal hush money payments to suppress stories about his extramarital affairs ahead of the 2016 presidential election.

Trump has railed against the case, the prosecution, and Judge Juan Merchan, who ruled the former president repeatedly violated his partial gag order. Early on in the trial, the former president suggested he wanted to testify in his own defense, but falsely claimed the gag order prevented him from doing so.

Trump routinely spoke to the press after court adjourned on most days during the trial. However, Parlatore told CNN that Trump would be best served by not saying anything during his sentencing.

“I’ll tell you one thing – and I’ve done sentencing before Judge Merchan before – I would not suggest the defendant speak at the sentencing,” he said. “Of course, that’s his right, whether he wants to speak or not.”

“Even to say he’s remorseful?” said host Laura Coates. “Which, I don’t think he might say.”

“That’s the point,” Parlatore replied. “I don’t think he would say that, so that’s why you don’t want him to talk. You’re gonna instead say that, ‘My client does still maintain his innocence and he’s going through the appellate process. We believe that there are certain appellate issues here, so don’t hold that against him.’ But instead, focus on issues such as history and characteristics of the defendant, lack of criminal history, all of those types of things.”

Current Trump attorney Todd Blanche maintains his client should not be given jail time.

“Other 77-year-old first-time offenders would never be sent to prison for this conduct,” he told CNN earlier in the evening.

Watch above via CNN.