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Former US President Trump Clashes With Judge

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News

NEW YORK (Worthy News) – In a made-for-media drama, former U.S. President Donald J. Trump clashed with a judge and defended his family’s business in a massive fraud case at a time when he campaigns for re-election.

For almost four hours, Trump denied any direct involvement in creating the financial statements or deceiving banks and airing grievances with the case, just like his sons did in their testimonies last week.

The judge already ruled the Trump Organization committed fraud, and this trial will determine the penalties. Judge Arthur Engoron also imposed twice sanctions of $10,000 against Trump after the former president violated the gag order barring public comments about members of the judge’s staff, rejecting appeals by Trump’s attorneys to drop the fine.

Prosecutors are seeking a $250 million fine and severe business restrictions in what Trump called a “political witch-hunt.”

If confirmed, Trump would lose his ability to conduct business in the state of New York, which could ultimately force him to give up his prized real estates. This would include relinquishing control over holdings like the Trump Tower, 40 Wall Street, golf courses, and suburban real estate.

During his highly anticipated appearance at a Manhattan federal courthouse, Trump, 77, was asked about the value of various properties, including his Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago, Trump Tower in New York, and his golf course in Scotland.

These properties are among several that prosecutors say were intentionally overvalued in company statements to secure better loans and insurance policies.

CLEAR FRONTRUNNER

Trump, who is the current frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination and is leading in the polls, stood by the valuations.

Prosecutors quizzed him on how they were reached and the financial statements at the center of the trial.

“All I did was authorize and tell people to give whatever is necessary for the accountants to do the statements,” Trump said during his testimony. “I would look at them, I would see them, and maybe on some occasions, I would have some suggestions.”

He added that his personal brand bolstered the property values, something he said was never factored into financial statements. “I’m worth billions of dollars more than the financial statements,” Trump said before describing the valuations as “very conservative.”

Apart from denying wrongdoing, Trump leveled attacks at Judge Arthur Engoron and Attorney General Letitia James, who brought the case forward.

“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 on the witness stand. “This is a political witch hunt.”

Trump added that James didn’t understand “how good a company” he built and accused her office of trying to “demean” and “hurt” him.

BITTER EXCHANGE

There was a bitter exchange with prosecutors who suggested that Trump was caught in a lie during his Monday testimony. He told prosecutors he was too “busy in the White House” to be involved in the preparing of his 2021 financial statements, even though Joe Biden had already succeeded him.

Asked about whether he was involved in the 2021 valuations of his properties, Trump defended himself by telling prosecutor Kevin Wallace, “I was so busy in the White House. My threshold was China, Russia, and keeping our country safe.”

Wallace wondered, “Just to clarify, you weren’t president in 2021, correct?” to which Trump replied, “No, I wasn’t.”

Trump repeatedly gave long-winded answers to questions about the valuations of various Trump Organization properties when Engoron’s patience soon wore thin.

Christopher Kise, one of Trump’s attorneys, encouraged Engoron to allow Trump to give answers in his way. “With this witness, it’s far more efficient to listen and take it all in,” Kise said, prompting laughter from Wallace.

Judge Engoron’s voice rose as his anger seemed to boil over, and his microphone struggled to handle the sudden volume change. “No, I’m not here to hear what he has to say,” Engoron said, his voice rising. “I’m here to hear him answer questions. Sit down!”

Engoron warned he was considering drawing negative conclusions from Trump’s testimony. Following Monday’s court saga, Trump told reporters it was “a very sad day for America” and reiterated his previous claims that the “case never should have been brought”.

He said the case “should be immediately dismissed” and added that “the court was the fraudster in the case.” It wasn’t immediately clear how voters would react, but the case is among a series of hurdles that Trump faces on his road to the White House.