Trump returned to assailing the judge almost as soon as he was out of the courtroom for the lunch break, angrily posting on Truth Social a graphic of the judge’s earlier remark admonishing him for making irrelevant statements during his testimony.
The post quoted NY supreme court justice Arthur Engoron saying “No, I’m not here to hear what [Trump] has to say” – a line that came during a furious exchange between the judge and Trump’s lawyer Alina Habba.
The exchange was remarkable for its tone and hostility. Engoron is clearly furious at Trump and his legal team, but reserved particular ire at Trump lawyer Habba when she pushed back at him and said he was there to listen to Trump’s responses. The judge turned to her and, almost shouting, told her to “SIT DOWN”. Trump was shaking his head as his lawyers were dressed down, and said unprompted: “This is a very very unfair trial and I hope the public is watching.”
It may be the Trump team’s intention to aggravate the judge and provoke him into a mistake that they might be able to use to undercut the case on appeal. But it’s a dangerous game because Engoron has a lot of power in his own courtroom, and has twice threatened to draw “negative inferences” from Trump’s testimony – which could lead to him imposing the most severe sanctions. NYAG has asked for a $250m penalty.
49m ago
18.13 GMT
Trump testimony summary so far
During an eventful morning session many, if not most, of the key moments involved Trump attacking his opponents and calling them political operatives, making for a courtroom drama that often involved more theatrics than facts.
Here are some key points from the testimony so far:
Judge Arthur Engoron, whom Trump has repeatedly bashed as a political operative and other smears along those lines, threatened to boot him off the witness stand for not answering questions succinctly. Engoron said to Trump lawyer Chris Kise: “I beseech you to control him. If you can’t, I will; I will excuse him and draw every negative inference that I can.” Not surprisingly, Trump groused: “This is a very unfair trial…and I hope the public is watching.”
Trump effectively accused Engoron – who determined the ex-president’s real estate valuations were fraudulent – of being a fraud. ‘The fraud is on behalf of the court,” Trump ranted. “He says that I’m a fraud … He’s the one that didn’t value property correctly.” He also told Engoron: “You’re wrong.”
The core of James’ civil fraud trial is Trump’s inflation of real estate assets so, it’s noteworthy that he seemed to recognize that his Trump Tower triplex might have been over-stated. Asked about the fact that the triplex had been listed as 30,000sf on financial statements – but was only about 10,000sf – Trump said it could have been a miscalculation. Whoever came up with the square footage, Trump said, just tripled the floor space for each floor. But, “they didn’t take out elevator shafts” and other non-usable square footage, he surmised.
Trump showed some self-awareness in court this morning when describing his political ascent. While insisting that his net worth was not over-stated, Trump repeatedly pointed to the value of the Trump name. “The most valuable asset was the brand value,” he said. “If you look at the companies, the brand value is a very big part of the asset value of the company.” Shortly thereafter, he said, “I became president because of my brand.
Maksutov:
That's the problem with this supernatural stuff, it doesn't really solve anything. It's a placeholder for ignorance.
Mayan Elephant:
Not only have I denounced the Big Lie, I have denounced the Big lie big lie.
15m ago
15.17 EST
Trump Testimony Ends in Civil Fraud Trial
Wallace just concluded his questioning of Trump. The former president’s attorneys are not cross-examining him.
18m ago
20.14 GMT
Trump calls civil trial 'election interference'
Donald Trump, who faces election meddling charges in Georgia, called Letitia James’ civil trial “election interference” while invoking the bogeyman of urban crime.
”I think this case is a disgrace.”
“Many people are leaving New York because [of] exactly this kind of thinking,” he said. He griped about “everybody being killed on the streets of New York” while James was “sitting here” in court.
“We sit here all day–-it’s election interference, because you want to keep me in the courthouse!”
Trump then said “I want a jury.”
“She sued me under a statute that doesn’t allow it’s a jury,” he continued, saying shortly thereafter, “It’s an unfair witch hunt.”
Regarding Trump’s complaint about a jury, Axios notes that James did request a bench trial, but his team never requested a jury trial. If Trump’s team wanted a jury trial, Engoron would have been required to weigh their request.
Updated at 20.15 GMT
43m ago
19.50 GMT
During Trump’s testimony this afternoon, there have been times when he appeared as concerned about defending his ego as he did fighting James’ fraud lawsuit. Indeed, Wallace was asking Trump about his net worth; the ex-president chaffed at the suggestion that he wasn’t as rich as professed.
Trump didn’t just maintain a net worth of $2.5bn, as required by several loan agreements, he insisted. “I could have given them a few assets which were worth more than $2.5 bn.”
Asked about requirements that Trump maintain a certain amount of liquid assets, Trump said it was “not because of me--because of other people, they always wanted to make sure the cash was substantial.”
“I’ve had a lot of cash for a long time.”
And, in another element of his defense, Trump said the loan was “paid off in full, with no problem, and the bank was thrilled. They got all their money back. There was no victim.”
“It was a very successful loan, as opposed to other people who don’t do successful loans,” he continued.
Asked about one of the loans at issue, Trump said “the loan is long since gone.”
“Long since gone?” Wallace said. “When did you pay off this loan?”
Trump said it was paid off recently. His memory seems to have blurred.
“Are you aware that the Trump Chicago loan was paid off last week?” Wallace said.
“I heard it was,” Trump said. “I don’t know if it was last week. I know it was recently.”
Trump also said that son Eric Trump made the decision to pay the loan off early.
“There was no victim…they made a lot of money,” Trump said a moment later. Another digression ensued.
“Everyone is trying to figure out why are you doing this,” Trump said, insisting he had the best lawyers “in the world. “
“Nobody understands it,” Trump said. “I understand it--it’s called politics.”
1h ago
19.36 GMT
Before returning to court, Trump posted on Truth Social to endorse a comment from Andy McCarthy, a columnist for National Review and a former assistant US attorney for the Southern District of New York.
McCarthy called into question the court’s impartiality in the case, telling Fox News: “This whole NY justice system is fraudulent in the sense that these are elected Democrats. She is an elected Democrat who campaigned for office on a vow that she would use the power of the state to get him, which is a Soviet way of going about your business.”
1h ago
14.18 EST
We’re back. Court is in session. Trump has returned to the stand.
Wallace is asking Trump about his loans at Deutsche Bank. Remember: New York Attorney General Letitia James said that Trump defrauded banks and insurers by using over-valued assets to secure advantageous rates.
Maksutov:
That's the problem with this supernatural stuff, it doesn't really solve anything. It's a placeholder for ignorance.
Mayan Elephant:
Not only have I denounced the Big Lie, I have denounced the Big lie big lie.
Welp. This is what happens when you give the guy enough rope, a mic, and a stage. He'll end up getting tossed out of the courtroom or something and then present himself as a martyr. You know, the victim of the witch hunt and all.
LIGHT HAS A NAME
We only get stronger when we are lifting something that is heavier than what we are used to. ~ KF
Strong stuff: "... the defendant stands alone in American history for his alleged crimes. No other president has engaged in conspiracy and obstruction to overturn valid election results and illegitimately retain power."
I. Introduction
The indictment in this case charges the defendant, then the president, with perpetrating an unprecedented campaign of deceit to attack the very functioning of the federal government to collect, count, and certify votes; to obstruct the January 6 congressional proceeding at which the election results are certified; and to disenfranchise millions of voters—all in a concerted criminal effort to overturn the presidential election results and prevent the lawful transfer of power to his successor. Because the defendant cannot mount meritorious challenges to the charges against him, his motions to dismiss the indictment on constitutional (ECF No. 113) and statutory (ECF No. 114) grounds rely instead on distortions and misrepresentations. The defendant attempts to rewrite the indictment, claiming that it charges him with wholly innocuous, perhaps even admirable conduct—sharing his opinions about election fraud and seeking election integrity—when in fact it clearly describes the defendant’s fraudulent use of knowingly false statements as weapons in furtherance of his criminal plans. The defendant’s motions cite cases that, upon examination, undermine his arguments rather than support them, and he improperly challenges the Government’s anticipated trial evidence at this stage. The defendant also claims that he could not have known his actions were criminal because, in the past, others who have questioned, challenged, or protested election results were not prosecuted. But the defendant stands alone in American history for his alleged crimes. No other president has engaged in conspiracy and obstruction to overturn valid election results and illegitimately retain power. The indictment squarely charges the defendant for this conduct, and the defendant’s constitutional and statutory challenges to it are meritless. The defendant’s motions (ECF Nos. 113 and 114) should be denied.
Maksutov:
That's the problem with this supernatural stuff, it doesn't really solve anything. It's a placeholder for ignorance.
Mayan Elephant:
Not only have I denounced the Big Lie, I have denounced the Big lie big lie.
I presume you mean randomly thrown darts rather than expertly aimed ones.
I recall a scene from a show where there was a dartboard hanging up, but the people who lived there stopped playing, after they broke a window. Which was 90 degrees away in direction from the dartboard. Too bad, they could have had a future in the prediction of Trump's behavior.
Yes. Just like that.
he/him we all just have to live through it,
holding each other’s hands.
Welp. This is what happens when you give the guy enough rope, a mic, and a stage. He'll end up getting tossed out of the courtroom or something and then present himself as a martyr. You know, the victim of the witch hunt and all.
If this had been a jury trial and Trump behaved like he did today, he’d be cooling his heels in the slammer for contempt of court.
If anyone but Trump had behaved like he did today in a bench trial, they’d be cooling their heels in the slammer for contempt of court.
The judge is bending over backwards to avoid an down goal that would lead to a reversal.
he/him we all just have to live through it,
holding each other’s hands.
...But the defendant stands alone in American history for his alleged crimes. No other president has engaged in conspiracy and obstruction to overturn valid election results and illegitimately retain power. The indictment squarely charges the defendant for this conduct, and the defendant’s constitutional and statutory challenges to it are meritless... https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap ... .139.0.pdf
Wow. No use crying over spilt milk, but it makes you wish someone could have spoken like this and had authority to do something about it at some point earlier in the last 6 years or so.
Let us all pause to savor this one moment, shall we?
Lawrence: Trump incriminated himself and his children with one word on the stand https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqLW0DSjX3A
You're very welcome.
LIGHT HAS A NAME
We only get stronger when we are lifting something that is heavier than what we are used to. ~ KF
Let us all pause to savor this one moment, shall we?
Lawrence: Trump incriminated himself and his children with one word on the stand https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqLW0DSjX3A
You're very welcome.
Briefly, the one word was this:
Question to witness Trump: "Who within the Trump organisation was responsible for preventing and detecting fraud?"
Response by Trump: "Everybody"
The judge has already ruled that fraud took place. The purpose of this hearing is to decide who shall be punished for this fraud, and how. Now Trump, who is the most material of all possible material witnesses on such a matter, says under oath that there is nobody in his organisation who can be absolved from responsibility for the fraud that has been ruled to have taken place. Not him, certainly. Not his kids.
Why did he make such a stupid admission? Obvious answer: he wanted to say "It wasn't just me", and slither away from responsibility as far as he could. But now he is sunk, and so is everybody else. Great job, Donald. A very stable genius.
Maksutov:
That's the problem with this supernatural stuff, it doesn't really solve anything. It's a placeholder for ignorance.
Mayan Elephant:
Not only have I denounced the Big Lie, I have denounced the Big lie big lie.
You know, the victim of the witch hunt and all.
