NEW YORK — Former President Donald Trump testified Monday in the fraud civil trial against the Trump Organization, using his time on the stand to deliver harsh attacks against the judge and lawyers in the case.
Trump slammed the process as political interference, calling Attorney General Letitia James “a political hack” and said the case “is a disgrace.”
“You and every other Democrat … coming after me from 15 different sides … all haters,” Trump said. “There are murderers on the streets of New York, and the attorney general is sitting here all day long.”
“He rambled, he hurled insults, but we expected that,” James told reporters after Trump’s time on the stand was over.
Trump sparred with Judge Arthur Engoron, whom he’s attacked on Truth Social repeatedly.
“The judge will rule against me because he will always rule against me,” Trump said.
Engoron said it was not true and pressed Trump to answer the question, saying “Please answer the question. You can attack me all you want but just answer the question.”
Engoron scolded Trump’s lawyers, saying, “I beseech you to control him” while adding “This is not a political rally.”
There is not a jury in the trial, meaning Engoron will be the one to decide the fate of the Trump Organization.
“This is a very unfair trial, very unfair. I hope the public is watching,” Trump complained.
The state said Trump appraised Mar-A-Lago’s market value to be $18 million to $27.6 million from 2011 to 2021, while Trump’s balance sheet put its value at $426 million to $612 million.
The values are far bigger than what they are on the financial statements,” Trump said.
This is just one of several trials for Trump in the coming year.
Trump also is set to stand trial in four criminal cases next year: the federal classified documents case; the Fulton County, Georgia, election interference case; the Washington, D.C., election interference case; and the Manhattan district attorney’s inquiry into hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels.
