Former President Donald Trumpā€™s Thursday courtroom tirade could backfire, legal experts warn.

Trump attorney Chris Kise asked Judge Arthur Engoron, who is overseeing Trumpā€™s New York fraud trial, to allow Trump to speak on his own behalf during closing arguments. Engoron asked Trump if he would agree to stick to the facts and relevant law but the former president launched into a lengthy diatribe, accusing the judge and New York Attorney General Letitia James of waging a ā€œpolitical witch huntā€ and demanding ā€œdamagesā€ because the real ā€œfraud is on me.ā€

During one portion of his rant, Trump referred to a key allegation in Jamesā€™ lawsuit alleging that the former presidentā€™s Trump Tower penthouse was valued at three times larger than it actually is.

ā€œThey made a mistake. It was an honest mistake,ā€ Trump said.

Jamesā€™ team allowed Trump to speak until the judge ultimately shut him down and pleaded for Kise to ā€œcontrol your client.ā€

ā€œThere may be a reason that Jamesā€™ staff didnā€™t interrupt,ā€ wrote NBC News legal analyst Lisa Rubin. ā€œThe AGā€™s office may have struck gold because some of what Trump said was so damaging to him, especially his explanation of the triplex square footage ā€˜error.ā€™ā€

  • Atelopus-zeteki@kbin.run
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    10 months ago

    Brilliant play, Justice Engoron.

    "Former federal prosecutor Kristy Greenberg, who was in the courtroom, told CNN she was stunned to ā€œsee somebody have so much disrespectā€ for the judge and the court.

    "The attacks on ā€” the personal attacks on the judge ā€” this is a judge who had a bomb threat this morning. Thatā€™s why the amount of security that was in the courthouse was unlike anything I have seen. and I have been other days when various Trump family members have testified, and this was heightened. They were very concerned about threats,ā€ she said.

    "Iā€™m waiting for the judge to tell him ā€˜Youā€™re done and if you continue youā€™ll be held in contempt!ā€™ā€ she added. ā€œThatā€™s what happened to me and any other lawyers happening in courts and it was not done.ā€

    Engoron is expected to issue a ruling by Jan. 31."

    • SPRUNT@lemmy.world
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      10 months ago

      I think it was doubly-brilliant by Engoron because now Orange Hitler canā€™t say he didnā€™t get a chance to speak.

      • asret@lemmy.zip
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        10 months ago

        Pretty sure heā€™ll still say it.

        When has reality ever mattered to him (or his supporters) before?