Former U.S. President Donald Trump, currently entangled in a $370 million fraud lawsuit, vehemently asserted his innocence and openly called for damages during a break in closing statements. The incident unfolded on Thursday, January 11, 2024, in a Manhattan Court, New York, as reported by Raw Story.
The brash remarks by Trump took place in response to what he termed a “political witch hunt” orchestrated by New York Attorney General Letitia James. Trump, addressing reporters, decried the investigation as baseless and disgraceful, emphasizing the lack of credible witnesses and dismissing Michael Cohen, the only witness, as a “discredited felon.”
The judge, compelled by the unusual outburst, intervened, cautioning Trump’s attorneys to control the former President’s statements. The rare intervention underscored the trial’s contentious nature and Trump’s unyielding stance against the charges.
Trump’s combative tone persisted inside the courtroom, where he interrupted proceedings to express similar sentiments directly to Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron. The former President insisted, “It’s a disgrace, and they should pay me damages. That’s the way it should be. They should be paying me damages. This is a disgraceful situation.”
He further asserted the innocence of his company, stating, “We’re a very innocent company. We did everything right. They have no witness against us other than Michael Cohen, who’s a discredited felon. They have no witnesses against us whatsoever. They don’t have one piece of paper.”
Expressing skepticism about a fair ruling, Trump commented, “I don’t know that we’re going to get a fair ruling, but everybody knows what I just said. This is a sham, and it’s a shame.”
CNN’s Kaitlan Collins reported the extraordinary courtroom episode, noting that Trump spoke out from the defense table, characterizing the civil investigation as a political witch hunt. “Judge Engoron let Trump continue before then saying he had one minute left. He then cut him off and urged his attorney to ‘please control your client,'” wrote Collins, highlighting the unprecedented nature of Trump’s courtroom intervention.
