Trump alleges “political witchhunt”; spares none, not even the judge, in civil fraud trial

Former United States President Trump on Tuesday criticized what he called a “political witch hunt” against him for years now.

Testifying in a civil fraud trial in a New York court, he also attacked the state’s attorney general and the judge in the case.

New York Attorney General Letitia James is suing Trump for $250 million and seeking to bar him from doing business in the state.

Meanwhile, Judge Engoron has already ruled Trump and his co-defendants were liable for fraud

“This is a political witch hunt and I think she should be ashamed of herself,” Trump said of the New York AG.

“The fraud is on the court, not on me,” Trump said.

“It’s a terrible thing you’ve done,” he said to the judge.

 “You believe this political hack back there and that’s unfortunate,” the former president added.

The Judge asked Trump to not treat the courtroom as a “political rally” and threatened to remove him as a witness.

He also asked Trump’s lawyer Chris Kise to “control” his client. However, Trump’s lawyer urged the court to what the former president has to say.

“He’s describing to you why there was no intent to mislead anyone with his answers. That’s what he’s doing,” Kise responded to the judge.

“I am not here to hear what he has to say,” Judge Engoron said, adding “We are here to hear him answer questions, and most of the time he’s not”.

However, after a morning break, the judge stopped trying to control Trump.

The case itself centers on allegations that Trump’s real estate empire engaged in fraudulent practices to inflate the former president’s net worth to secure better loan rates.

Notably, Trump did admit to some inaccuracies in his financial statements, such as the valuation of his Trump Tower apartment, but he also argued that banks are responsible for their due diligence and highlighted disclaimer clauses in his statements.

The trial is a non-jury trial, meaning that Judge Engoron will ultimately decide the outcome. The testimony has delved into various aspects of Trump’s financial dealings, including loans from Deutsche Bank and the valuation of properties like Mar-a-Lago and his golf resort in Aberdeen, Scotland.