Former President Donald Trump exploded less than two hours into testifying at his $250 million civil fraud trial in Manhattan on Monday – pointing at the judge while accusing him of “fraud” and calling the attorney general a “hack.”
Trump, 77, began his testimony in a quiet tone, but lost his temper after Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron threatened to throw him out for making “speech” instead of giving a direct answer on the stand.
The 2024 GOP presidential front-runner began calling Engoron and Attorney General Letitia James – who brought the case against him – “trying to hurt him”.
He called James, who sat quietly in the front row, a “political hack,” accusing him of trying to use the case to raise his political profile.
Trump then went after Engoron, pointing at the lawyers and stating, “Everybody is watching this case. He calls me a liar and he knows nothing about me.”
“The fraud is in the court and not on me,” he said, before adding of James, “The fraud is on him!”
Donald Trump screamed in court, accused the judge of cheating and called the AG a “hack.” JUSTIN LANE/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
“When you command Mar-A-Lago worth $18 million and he commands it worth $25 million, either people are very stupid or there is fraud. Fraud is on behalf of the court,” Trump said.
The former president began testifying under oath at 10 a.m. Monday in a trial over James’ claims that he inflated his assets for a decade on financial documents to save hundreds of millions in loans and insurance.
In a stunning ruling from days before the trial began, Engoron found Trump liable for some of James’ major fraud claims, citing Florida officials’ valuation of the Palm Beach golf club at a maximum of $27 million while Trump had claimed it was worth as much as $1.5 billion.
The anger came after Judge Arthur Engoron warned he would throw Trump out of the courtroom if he did not stop making speeches.REUTERS
“He said I’m a liar because I didn’t value my property properly,” Trump continued to rant loudly on Monday. “He who does not rule my property properly.”
Trump also insisted he is doing a “great job” as president.
Finally, Kevin Wallace, a lawyer in the Attorney General’s office, asked, “You’re done?”
“I’m done,” Trump replied.
Trump began testifying in a hushed tone before he began pointing at the judge and accusing him of fraud.REUTERS
The morning’s testimony was marked by significant tension and several skirmishes between Trump and his lawyers and the judge.
Engoron said he would kick the former commander-in-chief off the witness stand if he didn’t stop giving “speeches” to Wallace’s simple “yes-or-no questions.”
“We got another speech,” Engoron told Trump’s lawyers at one point.
“I beg you to control him if you can. If you can’t, I will,” the judge continued.
Trump’s lawyer Alina Habba complained about the judge telling her to sit while standing and interrupting the questioning to defend her client.
“I’ll forgive him and use every negative conclusion I can.”
Trump’s lawyer Alina Habba stood up and interrupted Wallace’s questioning of her client at one point, telling Engoron his job was to listen to what Trump had to say.
“I’m not here to hear what he has to say!” Engoron shouted, before telling Habba to “sit.”
“This was a very unfair trial – very very – and I hope people are watching,” Trump said.
During a short morning break, Trump did not answer media questions in the hallway, making the zipped lip gesture. And on his way out of the courtroom for lunch, he gave a thumbs up to reporters who asked how the trial was going.
AG Letitia James predicted before the hearing began Monday that Trump would call and taunt.AP
Trump told reporters outside the courtroom before his testimony this morning that the case was “election interference” and “political warfare.”
He was not allowed to speak about his testimony again until after it was over.
During a lunch break outside the court, Habba reprimanded the judge in front of the TV cameras, saying: “I was told to sit down today. I was yelled at and I had a judge, who was not tied up, slam the table.”
“Let me be clear: I do not tolerate that in my life. I will not tolerate it here,” he said.
The fiery lawyer also predicted that his client would win the 2024 presidential election.
“And those numbers don’t lie when President Trump runs for office in 2024,” Habba said. “The numbers are loud and clear.”
“This country is falling apart. And if we don’t stop corruption, in courtrooms where lawyers are stuffed, where lawyers are not allowed to say what they need to say to protect the interests of their clients,” he said. “It doesn’t matter what your politics are. Everyone in this country has the right to make a defense.”
On James’ trip to court Monday morning, he said Trump would “engage in name-calling, taunts and racial baiting, calling this a witch hunt.”
“But at the end of the day, the only things that matter are facts and numbers, and numbers, my friends, don’t lie.”
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
