Former President of the United States of America , DONALD TRUMP clashed repeatedly with the judge on Monday as he took the stand in the New York civil fraud case threatening to cripple his real estate empire.
TRUMP became the first former U.S. president to testify as a defendant in a court case in more than a century.
During his testimony, 77-year-old DONALD TRUMP accused Judge ARTHUR ENGORON of issuing fraudulent rulings, and denounced New York state attorney general LETITIA JAMES , who brought the case against him, as a political hack.
TRUMP called the trial a political witch hunt.
At one point, a visibly angry ENGORON told Trump’s lawyer, CHRISTOPHER KISE to control his client.
Dressed in a dark blue suit and tie with an American flag on his lapel, TRUMP denounced what he called a “very unfair” and “crazy trial” brought by Democrats “coming after him from 15 different sides.”
TRUMP, his eldest sons, DON JR and ERIC , and other TRUMP Organization executives are accused of exaggerating the value of their real estate assets by billions of dollars to obtain more favorable bank loans and insurance terms.
Testifying under oath, TRUMP dismissed allegations that the company’s financial statements were fraudulent, describing them as very conservative.
TRUMP has repeatedly attacked JAMES, who is Black, as “racist,” and has also gone after ENGORON, calling the judge a “Trump-hating radical left, Democrat operative.”
ENGORON has responded by slapping TRUMP with $15,000 in fines for violating a partial gag order imposed after he bashed the judge’s clerk on social media.
TRUMP’s testimony follows that of his sons DON JR. and ERIC, who took the stand last week and blamed accountants for any inaccuracies in the financial statements of the company.
According to The Washington Post, the last former president to testify publicly as a defendant was THEODORE ROOSEVELT, who took the stand during a 1915 libel trial.
TRUMP has already given testimony twice in connection with this case, both times in closed-door depositions.