Trump challenges fraud trial in New York and judge threatens to interrupt testimony

Donald Trump complained of “unfair treatment” after a challenging performance on the witness stand this Monday (6). The former US president’s stance prompted the judge overseeing his civil commercial fraud trial in New York to threaten to interrupt his testimony.

When questioned about his company’s accounting practices, Trump has repeatedly clashed with Judge Arthur Engoron, who is weighing the possibility of imposing hundreds of millions of dollars in fines and other penalties that could harm the former president’s real estate empire.

Engoron warned the possible US presidential candidate in 2024 that he could remove him from the witness stand if he did not answer questions directly. The judge questioned Trump’s lawyer, Christopher Kise: “Mr. Kise, can you control your client? This is not a political rally, but a courtroom.”

The former president acknowledged that his company did not provide accurate estimates of the value of apartment towers, golf courses and other assets. New York state prosecutors said those amounts were increased to obtain better financing terms, and Engoron has now ruled that they were fraudulent.

But Trump said many of them, such as his Mar-a-Lago estate and the Doral golf course in Florida, were undervalued and banks did not take the valuations seriously.

The text of the lawsuit alleges that the estimates misled creditors and insurers, exaggerating his wealth by 2 billion dollars (around R$9.8 billion, at current prices).

Trump has called the case a “witch hunt” and accused Engoron and New York Attorney General Letitia James of political bias. He maintained these complaints on the witness stand, where he accused legal authorities of paying undue attention to his affairs after he became president.

“I’m sure the judge will rule against me, because he always rules against me,” he said.

See also: Trump accuses Biden administration of financing attacks on Israel

Trump: Biden government financed attacks on Israel | NOW CNN

“Explain the rules”

At one point, when Trump was testifying, the trial judge asked the former White House occupant’s lawyer to take his client to the back of the courtroom and “explain the rules” to him.

“The former president of the United States, who will soon be president again, understands the rules,” Kise replied.

Unlike the four criminal cases Trump faces, the civil trial does not threaten to put him in prison while he prepares a new presidential bid.

Trump has sought to take advantage of the lawsuits, using them to solicit campaign donations and argue that he is being targeted for his political views.