NEW YORK — Donald Trump rested his defense Tuesday after one day without taking the stand — despite claiming he “absolutely” would — ushering the historic hush money trial into the home stretch and paving the way for a Manhattan jury to begin deliberating as soon as next week.

Trump lawyer Todd Blanche announced that the defense had finished countering prosecutors’ monthlong case against the former president shortly after 10 a.m. after Robert Costello wrapped up on the stand.

Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan informed jurors they would be off through Memorial Day to avoid a long lapse between closing arguments and deliberations.

“I think that the best thing that we can do is adjourn now until next Tuesday,” Merchan said. Later, he heard arguments regarding how to instruct jurors before they get the case.

Speaking to reporters earlier Tuesday, Trump declined to address his decision not to testify but lamented that he couldn’t fully voice his feelings about his prosecution because of a gag order prohibiting comments about trial participants.

“You’d be very impressed, but I’m gagged,” Trump said. “So why would I take the chance? We do want to defend our Constitution. So at some point, maybe I will take the chance.”

The presumed GOP nominee in this year’s presidential election pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records in April 2023, each tied to his alleged reimbursement to Michael Cohen for paying off porn star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election to silence her claims of sleeping with a newlywed Trump in 2006.

Prosecutors allege the payments, logged as compensation for legal fees, constituted felony-level crimes as they were disguised to mask an underlying conspiracy to influence the election.

The 12 New Yorkers tasked with deciding whether to convict a U.S. president for the first time heard from 20 witnesses for the prosecution and two for the defense — Costello and a paralegal from Blanche’s firm.

Team Trump called Costello, who drew the usually even-tempered judge’s ire Monday for mouthing off in front of jurors, to try to discredit Cohen.

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