Trump Speaks at NY Civil Trial After Judge Faces Bomb Threat
Donald Trump called himself “an innocent man” on Thursday when granted permission to speak by Judge Arthur Engoron during closing arguments in New York Attorney General Letitia James’ civil fraud suit against the former US president, his family, and their business....
0:00
/1861
Facts
- Donald Trump called himself “an innocent man” on Thursday when granted permission to speak by Judge Arthur Engoron during closing arguments in New York Attorney General Letitia James’ civil fraud suit against the former US president, his family, and their business.1
- Although Engoron refused Trump’s request to speak during the closing arguments on Wednesday, the judge acquiesced to a request from Chris Kise, a lawyer for Trump.1
- Engoron had warned Trump to keep his comments to the facts of the case. But the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination accused James of hating him and wanting to “stop Trump from getting elected.” He also called the charges a “fraud on me.”2
- Meanwhile, Thursday's proceedings saw a slight delay because of heightened security at the courthouse after Nassau County Police had to respond to a hoax bomb threat at Engoron’s home at around 5:30 a.m. in Great Neck, New York.3
- Engoron is considering what penalties to impose on Trump following his September ruling that affirmed the former president fraudulently manipulated property values. Trump has appealed that judgment.4
- James is seeking $370M in damages and a ban on the Trump Organization from doing business in the state of New York.4
Sources: 1NBC, 2The Hill.com, 3Washington Post and 4Reuters.com.
Narratives
- Pro-Trump narrative, as provided by FOX News. The least Engoron could do was let Trump, who has done nothing wrong, speak at his own trial. Otherwise, Trump has been denied most of his rights, including the opportunity to postpone the proceedings while he mourns the death of his mother-in-law. It’s obvious this is James’ contribution to the Democratic witch hunt that seeks to derail Trump’s reelection to the White House.
- Anti-Trump narrative, as provided by Rolling Stone. Engoron knew what was going to happen if he granted Trump the right to speak in court, and the former president acted accordingly. Instead of showing remorse or presenting a factual argument to defend himself, Trump used the opportunity to deliver his rehearsed list of grievances and his oft-repeated accusations of a witch hunt. He made it easy for Engoron to throw the book at him.
