Donald Trump took the stand to testify in the civil fraud case brought against him by New York Attorney General Letitia James.
Trump Continues to Attack New York Attorney General
For what is far from the first time, Donald Trump has ruthlessly attacked Letitia James for her role in bringing him to court for fraud.
“This is a political witch hunt and I think she should be ashamed of herself,” he said during his testimony.
While being questioned and in many statements prior, Trump took jabs at James, saying “the fraud is her,” at one point. On Truth Social, his insults have been a popular subject of his posts.
Trump Calls AG a “Political Hack”
Trump shared an image of James accompanied by a quote that said: “I think that she’s a political hack,” it read. In the image, he referred to James as “Soros-funded AG Letitia James.”
In a statement to the press outside the courtroom, James addressed Trump’s actions. “He rambled, he hurled insults, but we expected that,” she said.
Trump spent several hours on the stand and has since said he believes that his testimony “went very well.” He also called the case a scam.
Lawsuit Should Have Been “Dismissed Immediately,” Trump Says
“This is a case that should have never been brought,” he said. “It’s a case that should be dismissed immediately.
Trump pointed fingers at the court, which he believes should have declined to hear the case. “The fraud was on behalf of the court. The court was the fraudster in this case,” Trump said.
White House Excuse Doesn’t Stand
During his questioning today, Trump was asked about a financial statement from 2021 and what he knew about it. He responded by claiming to have been busy working as the president.
“I was so busy in the White House. My threshold was China, Russia, and keeping our country safe,” Trump declared. He was, in fact, not president in 2021, which was then acknowledged by Kevin Wallace from the attorney general’s office.
Throughout the day, lawyers and Judge Engoron had a difficult time getting straight answers out of Trump. Despite many yes or no questions, Trump had long, often off-topic responses.
Judge Engoron asked Trump’s counsel to convince the former president to cooperate, at one point saying, “I beseech you to control him,” referring to Trump.
Earlier in the day, Engoran told Trump’s attorneys, “This is not a political rally. Maybe you need to have a talk with him right now.”
“This Is a Very Unfair Trial” Trump Claims
Trump has maintained that the trial was politically motivated and has insisted that he is being treated unfairly. He and his team have repeatedly made political references during the trial, including attorney Chris Kise calling Trump the “future president.”
“This is a very unfair trial,” Trump said. “I hope the public is watching.”
Several times over the course of questioning, Trump said he thought his properties were overvalued in his financial statements. The core of the trial is the allegation that Trump and his ilk purposely inflated the value of his assets in order to secure better loan terms from banks.
The judge found Trump liable for fraud earlier in the year, and this trial is to determine the consequences and fines. Trump’s ability to do business in New York is at stake.
The post Trump Criticizes Attorney General Letitia James from the Witness Stand: ‘She Should Be Ashamed of Herself’ first appeared on Edge Media.
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / a katz.