(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Former President Donald Trump made headlines on Monday as he delivered explosive testimony in the civil fraud case against the Trump Organization, targeting both New York Attorney General Letitia James and Judge Arthur Engoron in a heated courtroom exchange.
Initially maintaining a composed demeanor, Trump’s speech quickly shifted as Engoron accused him of delivering a political speech. “It’s a terrible thing you’ve done. You know nothing about me,” Trump retorted, according to Politico. He then turned his attention to James, labeling her a “political hack,” as reported by the New York Post.
In an attempt to defend himself, Trump emphasized a disclaimer clause in his filings, claiming that financial institutions that approved loans did not pay attention to the documents.
“We have a disclaimer clause that says do your own due diligence, don’t under any circumstances count on anything in here,” Trump said. “If you were borrowing money … they were not really documents that the banks paid much attention to. They looked at the deal, they looked at the asset … but these were not very important.”
REPORT: Donald Trump reportedly pulled out a piece of paper from his suit jacket in court, claiming it would clear him of all wrongdoing in the $250M fraud case.
Left-wing Judge Arthur Engoron refused to let him read it.
The paper in question reportedly was a disclaimer clause… pic.twitter.com/iIAZkoFdBK
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) November 7, 2023
Engoron pushed back against Trump’s defense, saying that he had ruled against the disclaimers in previous orders.
“No, no, no,” Engoron claimed. “We’re not going to hear about the disclaimer clause. If you want to hear about the disclaimer clause, read my opinion again — or for the first time, perhaps.”
But Trump did not hold back against the ruling. “You’re wrong in your opinion… He called me a fraud and he didn’t know anything about me.”
As detailed by Politico, the tension escalated further as Trump continued to deflect direct questions from the state, prompting Engoron to express impatience.
“I beseech you to control him if you can,” the judge directed towards Trump’s attorney, Chris Kise. “If you can’t, I will. “I will excuse him and draw every negative inference that I can.”
Amidst the escalating courtroom drama, Engoron emphasized the need for order, stating, “This is not a political rally. This is a courtroom.”
