6 memorable moments from Trump's chaotic testimony in NY fraud trial
Chaos in court: Highlights from Trump's testimony in NY fraud trial
Former President Donald Trump's civil fraud trial in which he is accused of inflating the value of many properties in his portfolio, had its most dramatic day on Monday, November 6. At the Manhattan court, the 77-year-old real estate mogul used the witness stand to defend his wealth and launch personal jabs at Judge Arthur Engoron, and New York Attorney General Letitia James. The case stems from a $250 million civil lawsuit filed by James' office, which accused Trump, his two oldest sons, the Trump Organization, and several executives of a yearslong fraud scheme. In addition to attempting to retrieve $250 million, the attorney general is seeking to restrict the Trumps' economic dealings in New York. As the case continues, here are some of the stand-out moments from Donald Trump’s testimony in the NY Fraud trail.
Judge asked defense lawyer to 'control Trump'
While facing questions over his wealth and asset valuation, Trump apparently tried to put off Judge Engoron by talking endlessly about his opulence, the splendor of his estates, and his complaints about the legal system. After a point, the judge stopped Trump’s rambling, asking defense lawyer Christopher Kise “Can you control your client? This is not a political rally,” adding, "We’ll be here forever and will accomplish nothing.” To this, Kise replied “You’re in control of the courtroom. Not me.” At another point, Judge Engoron again asked Kise to control Trump saying “I beseech you, to control him. If you can’t, I will.” Kise at this point told the judge, "...the most efficient way I would ask the court is to listen to what he has to say and you weigh it,” adding “The court needs to hear what he has to say about these statements and why they’re reliable.” The judge fired back at Kise’s statement, saying, “These people are not here to hear what he has to say. He is here to answer questions.”
'No speeches': Judge cautions Trump
Early in Monday's sessions, tensions erupted as Judge Engoron pushed Trump and his legal team to "move things along a little faster." He told Trump, “Please, answer the questions, no speeches... Some of your answers are not in response to a question,” he told the leading Republican presidential contender in 2024 polls. “I’m sure the judge will rule against me, he always rules against me,” Trump quipped. Judge Engoron then questioned the relevance of certain portions of Kise's narrative, citing his prior objection. “You can attack me, you can do whatever you want, just answer the question,” he said following Kise’s curt response.
Trump acknowledges mistakes in property valuation
In his testimony, Trump admitted that his company did not provide accurate estimates of the value of some of his prized properties to banks. He claimed that some of his holdings, including his Florida golf club and Mar-a-Lago mansion, were undervalued and others, such as his Trump Tower apartment in New York and his estate in Seven Springs, north of the city, were overpriced. He said that the valuation should not matter since the estimations had a disclaimer that they might not be correct and the banks did not take them seriously. "You’ve made it important, but it wasn’t," Trump said in reference to the New York Attorney General's office that brought the case.
Trump boasts about 'having a castle'
During the trial, New York state lawyer Kevin Wallace questioned Trump about any houses he constructed in Aberdeen, Scotland during the period between 2013 and 2014, when the value of his land there significantly rose. “I have a castle,” Trump replied, one of many times where he did not directly answer the question posed. With reference to an Aberdeen residential development, Trump stated: "I just don't want to build it right now. You've most likely already read; I'm busy." The conversation took an odd turn when The New York Attorney General's office brought up a 2014 statement to UK authorities claiming the Trump Organization had no intention of developing the Aberdeen sites due to wind farms. “I’m not a windmill person,” Trump told the court, adding "They’ll probably come down like all wind farms come down. They’re not on the property, they’re miles out … Regardless, we have the right to build a very big project.”
Trump calls Engoron and James 'frauds'
Things took a raging turn in the courtroom after Trump launched a rant raging against the judge and New York attorney general, calling them “frauds” and “political hacks.” The former president grumbled about the case, saying, "It’s a disgrace that a case like this is going on; all you have to do is read the legal scholars — the papers — and you’ll know. This is a political witch hunt." Wallace had been trying to steer the inquiry back toward his claims about his undervalued properties, but Trump ignored him and continued the rant. “Even yesterday, she’s out there saying ‘fraud, fraud.’ The fraud is her,” Trump said, referring to James. “He called me a fraud and he didn’t know anything about me,” he said of Engoron.
Trump’s defense team plans to file mistrial
Following Trump’s testimony, Alina Habba, part of the former president’s legal team, informed the judge that the defense intends to file for a mistrial in the case, adding they plan to complete their case by 15 December. “A week early!” Justice Engoron said. He had previously allowed the trial to last until the weekend before Christmas. Trump’s defense team later declined to cross-examine the former president following his testimony.