Scharf: Trump Not Taking the Stand to Testify Was Based on Judge Merchan Handling of the Proceedings

STEPHANOPOULOS On on there ░░░░░░░░ several legal experts have ░░░░░░░░ the way the Trump ░░░░░░░░ team handled this trial ░░░░░░░░ it a mistake for ░░░░░░░░ president not to testify ░░░░░░░░ I think in light ░░░░░░░░ the the Judge Merchan ░░░░░░░░ decision about the scope ░░░░░░░░ allowable cross examination which ░░░░░░░░ believe was wildly wrong ░░░░░░░░ think it would have ░░░░░░░░ dangerous for President Trump ░░░░░░░░ take the stand But ░░░░░░░░ think had President Trump ░░░░░░░░ the stand certainly on ░░░░░░░░ he would have been ░░░░░░░░ compelling witness I continue ░░░░░░░░ believe as I believe ░░░░░░░░ Americans believe that President ░░░░░░░░ did absolutely nothing wrong ░░░░░░░░ Certainly nothing illegal And ░░░░░░░░ not rising to the ░░░░░░░░ of this conviction So ░░░░░░░░ think that was a ░░░░░░░░ that was made in ░░░░░░░░ of the way that ░░░░░░░░ Merchan was handling these ░░░░░░░░ STEPHANOPOULOS Absolutely nothing wrong ░░░░░░░░ 12 12 jurors said ░░░░░░░░ clearly falsified the business ░░░░░░░░ and did it to ░░░░░░░░ a conspiracy SCHARF I ░░░░░░░░ that verdict is not ░░░░░░░░ by anything close anything ░░░░░░░░ close to proof beyond ░░░░░░░░ reasonable doubt And again ░░░░░░░░ re going to be ░░░░░░░░ challenging this verdict on ░░░░░░░░ We think we have ░░░░░░░░ grounds to I think ░░░░░░░░ of Judge Merchan s ░░░░░░░░ decisions really throughout the ░░░░░░░░ of this trial were ░░░░░░░░ astounding Not allowing Brad ░░░░░░░░ to testify the way ░░░░░░░░ he wanted This is ░░░░░░░░ of the world s ░░░░░░░░ experts on federal election ░░░░░░░░ Severely limiting the scope ░░░░░░░░ examination of Robert Costello ░░░░░░░░ I believe had absolutely ░░░░░░░░ information about the prosecution ░░░░░░░░ case On decision after ░░░░░░░░ after decision Judge Merchan ░░░░░░░░ think departed from normal ░░░░░░░░ procedure normal courtroom practice ░░░░░░░░ essentially stack the deck ░░░░░░░░ President Trump And again ░░░░░░░░ are all issues that ░░░░░░░░ re going to raise ░░░░░░░░ appeal We re going ░░░░░░░░ raise them vigorously And ░░░░░░░░ believe that we re ░░░░░░░░ to win.”