Former President Donald Trump lashed out at Justice Arthur Engoron and New York Attorney General Letitia James, accusing them of malicious intent. Trump, who had been testifying calmly for hours, suddenly shifted his tone, expressing his frustration with the proceedings.
The 77-year-old real estate tycoon called James a “political hack,” alleging that she was exploiting the case to further her political ambitions, claiming, “She used this case to become governor.” He vehemently contested Engoron’s judgment, pointing at the judge and declaring, “Everybody’s watching this case. He called me a fraud and he didn’t know anything about me.”
“The fraud is on the court and not on me,” Trump continued his impassioned rant, challenging the court’s valuation of his properties. He disputed Engoron’s decision, stating, “When you rule Mar-A-Lago is worth $18 million and she rules it’s worth $25 million, either people are very stupid or there’s a fraud. The fraud is on behalf of the court.”
Engoron had previously found Trump responsible for some of James’ main fraud allegations, citing discrepancies in property valuations. Trump fiercely defended his business acumen, asserting, “He said I’m a fraud because I didn’t value my property correctly. He’s the one who didn’t rule my property correctly.”
The ongoing trial revolves around a $250 million fraud case in which Trump, along with his sons Donald Trump Jr. and Eric, and the Trump Organization, are accused of a fraud scheme spanning several years. James alleges that the former president “grossly” exaggerated his net worth, inflating it by as much as $3.6 billion annually. Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Engoron is presiding over the non-jury trial, with the proceedings expected to continue until December.
Trump’s explosive courtroom outburst further intensifies the already high-profile trial, raising questions about the future trajectory of the case and its implications on Trump’s legal standing.
