Topline
Former President Donald Trump believes his five-hour testimony Monday in his Manhattan civil fraud trial went “very well,” he told reporters outside of the courtroom after the judge overseeing the case repeatedly chastised Trump as he lashed out at the court from the witness stand.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the media after completing his testimony at his trial … [+]
Key Facts
Trump told reporters it was “a very sad day for America” and reiterated his previous claims that the “case never should have been brought” and “should be immediately dismissed,” and added that “the court was the fraudster in the case.”
The former president also doubled down on his accusations that the New York Attorney General’s office underestimated his assets, and pointed to statements from the Palm Beach County property appraiser referenced in court papers that estimate Mar-A-Lago is worth between $18 million and $27.6 million, claiming “it’s 50 to 100 times that amount.”
Trump spoke with reporters after his testimony, during which Judge Arthur Engoron repeatedly admonished Trump, losing patience for the former president as he veered off course from prosecutors’ questioning and telling Trump’s lawyers, “I’m not here to hear what he has to say,” but instead was there to hear Trump’s responses to prosecutors’ questions.
Trump also attempted to defend himself by referring to a clause in his financial statements that says they are “not necessarily indicative of what someone could pay” for his assets; Engoron previously ruled that the clause did not absolve Trump of any guilt, calling it a “worthless” argument.
Chief Critic
New York Attorney General Letitia James told reporters outside of the Manhattan courthouse that Trump “rambled” and “hurled insults” during his testimony Monday. “But we expected that,” James said. She accused Trump of “engaging in distractions” and “name-calling” on the stand, adding that she “will not be bullied” and “will not be harassed . . . justice will prevail.”
Key Background
James’ office is seeking a $250 million judgment in the case that alleges Trump and his company intentionally misstated the value of his assets 200 times between 2011 and 2021, including overinflating the square footage of his Manhattan penthouse and the value of Mar-A-Lago, in order to defraud investors and secure more favorable business deals. Trump testified Monday in the weeks-long trial after his two sons, who are also named as defendants and took control of the company after Trump was elected president, testified last week, denying involvement in Trump’s financial statements despite evidence that suggests they were direct participants. Donald Trump Jr. told the judge he played no role in forming the statements, despite signing off on the documents, which he defended in his testimony as “materially correct.” Eric Trump also downplayed his part in valuing the Trump Organization’s assets and told the court he wasn’t aware of the statements at all until James filed her lawsuit. Prosecutors contested the characterization by showing emails from the company controller to Eric Trump seeking his help as he prepared a statement of financial condition. “People ask me questions all the time, but I never worked on the statements of financial condition,” Eric Trump claimed.
What To Watch For
Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump is set to take the stand Wednesday after an appeals court rejected her request to delay her appearance in the case, which she claimed would cause “undue hardship” because it occurred in the middle of a school week for her children. Ivanka Trump was dismissed as a defendant in the case after an appeals court ruled the allegations against her occurred outside of the statute of limitations.
Further Reading
Trump Testifies: Fraud Trial Testy As Judge Tells Ex-President’s Attorney To ‘Control Your Client’ (Forbes)
Trump Fraud Trial: Ex-President Keeps Testifying He Didn’t Commit Fraud Because Of This Clause—Here’s Why That’s Wrong (Forbes)
Inside The Courtroom: Donald Trump Testifies In Fraud Case (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/saradorn/2023/11/06/trump-says-fraud-trial-testimony-went-very-well-despite-contentious-clashes-with-judge/