Trump Clashes with Combative Judge While on Witness Stand in NY Fraud Trial
Former President Donald Trump slammed his civil fraud case as a “political witch hunt” on the witness stand Monday, calling Democratic New York Attorney General Letitia James a “political hack” and lashing out at the judge, according to multiple reports.
The outburst followed a less eventful second portion of Trump’s testimony, where he answered questions about Mar-a-Lago and his Aberdeen, Scotland golf club with few interruptions from the judge, according to reports.
Judge Arthur Engoron had earlier called a break after repeatedly asking Trump to focus on the questions, telling Trump’s lawyer this is “not a political rally” and to “control” his client, according to The Hill.
“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,” Trump said, the Hill reported. “This is a political witch hunt.”
“He called me a fraud and he didn’t know anything about me,” Trump said in reference to the judge, CNN reported.
“Read my opinion perhaps or for the first time,” Engoron responded, according to the outlet.
“I think it’s fraudulent, the decision,” Trump said, per CNN. “The fraud is on the court, not on me.”
Engoron ruled prior to the trial’s start that Trump and his business committed fraud by inflating his net worth and the value of his assets, deceiving banks and insurance companies.
“Even yesterday, she’s out there saying ‘fraud, fraud.’ The fraud is her,” Trump said in reference to the attorney general, per The Hill.
Trump has attacked James for bringing the case against him before.
He said earlier this month that she “defrauded the public” with the trial. In September, he attacked James on Truth Social for bringing a case against him “instead of fighting murder and violent crime, which is killing New York State.”
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