Left: New York Attorney General Letitia James speaks to the media, Nov. 6, 2023, in New York. AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey, File /Center: Justice Engoron. AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File./Right: Former President Donald Trump speaks during a break in closing arguments at New York Supreme Court, Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
At closing arguments for his $370 million civil fraud trial on Thursday, Donald Trump was unable to contain himself and exploded at the presiding judge and prosecutors with a torrent of “witch hunt” claims despite the judge expressly telling him a day earlier he could not speak in court unless his contributions were “relevant” to the case.
Legal analyst Lisa Rubin, who was inside the courtroom in New York, reported on social media site X that the outburst started when Trump’s attorney Christopher Kise asked New York Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron if the former president would be allowed to speak. NBC News reported that Engoron offered to give Trump up to five minutes to “focus on the facts” once his lawyers had concluded their closing statements.
A day earlier, Engoron had made the same offer and had reminded Trump he could not make personal attacks part of his commentary. But Kise failed to respond to the judge by the imposed noon deadline and the judge issued the order.
Rubin reported that when Engoron began to ask Trump if he would “promise to just comment on the facts and the law,” Trump did not bother to agree or disagree and instead, he plowed forward.
“This was a political witch hunt; we should receive damages for what they have taken our company through,” Trump railed, adding a moment later, “What has happened here is a fraud on me.”
“The amount of taxes that I have paid over this period is close to $300 million. They don’t want me here anymore. I have a problem, they want to make sure I don’t run again,” Trump said.
He also attacked New York Attorney General Letitia James.
“I know this is boring to you. I know you have your own agenda,” he said, according to NBC.
Referring to himself in the third person, Trump said James “hates Trump” and he accused her of interfering in the 2024 election.
From inside the courtroom, Rubin said Trump also whined to the judge: “You can’t listen to me for more than one minute!”
Trump goes on — without any interruption from Engoron or her team — and attacks James, accusing her of election interference. “You have your own agenda,” Trump angrily says to Engoron. “You can’t listen for more than one minute!”
— Lisa Rubin (@lawofruby) January 11, 2024
Trump called himself an “innocent man” and told Engoron as well: “They should pay me for what I’ve gone through.”
Engoron asked Kise to “please control your client.”
It has already been a hectic morning for the judge: a bomb threat was made to his home in Long Island. It did not waylay the start of closing arguments Thursday morning for long, however.
Proceedings are expected to continue through at least 4:30 p.m. Thursday. Though he was given the option to have a jury at the start, Trump did not request one. Whether he could have is unclear.
The Washington Post reported Thursday that during closing remarks from Kise, the attorney accused James of “weaponizing a consumer protection statute” against Trump and claimed she was imposing “the corporate death penalty.”
After scrutiny of Trump and Trump Organization business practices, James filed suit against the former president and his sons, Donald Jr and Eric Trump, as well as top executives, in 2022. Before the case even went to trial, Engoron affirmed there had been fraud.
Trump, the justice said, had lied about his net worth in financial statements in order to procure loans with more agreeable terms. These practices also helped him drive down costs for insurance. At trial, Trump’s lawyers argued that Trump never meant to defraud anyone and that he shouldn’t be penalized since he never defaulted on a loan.
But these negotiations were illicit, according to prosecutors, and they have asked that he pay $370 million for his unlawful conduct while also being banned for the rest of his life from the real estate industry in New York.
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