Today, the 45th president of the nation and leading Republican candidate appeared in court for his civil fraud trial in New York. This trial threatens the future of his real estate business. Under oath, Trump strongly criticized the judge, attacked the prosecutors, and argued that the entire case was politically motivated.
My colleague Laura Jarrett has all the details tonight. Donald Trump spent hours testifying in a Manhattan courtroom, where his real estate empire was on the line. Trump became visibly angry as he sparred with the judge and the New York attorney general’s office.
He dismissed accusations of doctoring financial statements to increase the value of properties like Mar-a-Lago, Trump Tower, and 40 Wall Street, all for the purpose of defrauding banks and lenders. However, the only things that matter in the end are the facts and the numbers, and numbers don’t lie. Trump has already been found liable for fraud and now faces a $250 million penalty. He grew increasingly agitated when questioned about overvaluing assets in the Trump organization’s financial statements.
He vehemently denied the judge’s accusation of fraud and attacked the attorney as a political hack. Trump vowed to not be bullied or harassed and declared that the case will continue.
During his testimony, Trump made some concessions, admitting that he likely saw the disputed financial statements that were sent to banks and lenders. However, he dismissed them as unimportant due to disclaimers included in them.
He also claimed that his net worth is actually much greater than reflected in his financial statements, emphasizing the value of the Trump brand. He argued that Mar-a-Lago alone is worth $18 million, which is 50 to 100 times its reported value.
The judge occasionally grew impatient with Trump’s irrelevant and rambling testimony, reminding him that the courtroom is not a political rally. Ivanka Trump, Trump’s eldest daughter, is expected to testify on Wednesday..
