Former President Donald Trump’s attorney, Alina Habba, launched a scathing critique against New York Attorney General Letitia James, dismissing her as intellectually lacking amid the ongoing civil trial against Trump and his adult sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump. The trial revolves around allegations of business fraud, where the Trump family is accused of manipulating the value of their company’s assets for years.
In a recent interview with Newsmax on Monday, Habba openly questioned James’s competence, stating, “She’s just not that bright. I’ve seen their case, I’ve seen their lawyers. They don’t know what they’re talking about.” Habba’s remarks came despite Judge Arthur Engoron’s earlier ruling confirming the occurrence of fraud. The current trial focuses on determining the extent of damages resulting from the fraudulent activities.
Habba contended that the behavior deemed fraudulent by the judge was standard practice within the industry. “Just because a bank providing a loan states the value to match the loan amount, it doesn’t reflect the real value,” she argued. “They’re going to say what they want to say and not a penny more, or what the loan amount is and not a penny more.”
Critiquing James’s understanding of the situation, Habba remarked, “She needs to educate herself, maybe go to some— I don’t even know how to express how ridiculous this is. It’s like being in a circus with a bunch of— I mean, what I want to say I can’t say on TV, but it’s crazy. You know, it’s just ridiculous. Anybody with a brain understands that this is just completely insane.”
Former President Trump, who appeared in court on Monday, engaged in a heated exchange with Judge Engoron, whom he has consistently accused of pursuing him with political motives. During Trump’s testimony, Engoron rebuked his attorney, Chris Kise, stating, “Mr. Kise, can you control your client? This is not a political rally,” as Trump’s response resembled an impromptu campaign speech.
In the ongoing trial, Attorney General James is seeking $250 million in financial penalties and aims to prohibit Trump and his sons from conducting business operations in New York. Despite Trump’s attempts to divert attention during his testimony, James remained resolute. “He rambled, he hurled insults, but we expected that,” she told reporters. “But I will not be bullied, I will not be harassed. This case will go on,” she affirmed.
