Former President Donald Trump caused a commotion during his New York civil fraud trial by yelling at the judge for several minutes, according to a report by Politico’s Erica Orden. Although the outburst caught the attention of New York Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron, he did not react further.
Trump’s anger erupted when Engoron interrupted his discussion about a disclaimer clause present in his financial statements. Trump had previously argued that this clause was meant to warn reviewers against relying on the accuracy of the listed asset valuations.
Engoron, however, interjected, stating that they would not be discussing the disclaimer clause. He referred Trump to his previous opinion on the matter and emphasized that the financial statements did not specify which information was misrepresented or undisclosed. Engoron’s ruling stated that the defendants could not use the disclaimer clause as a defense since it did not meet the requirements of an enforceable disclaimer and failed to insulate fraud.
In response to Engoron’s intervention, Trump criticized the judge’s opinion and called it a “fraudulent decision.” He also shouted insults at New York Attorney General Letitia James, whom he accused of being the real fraud. Trump directed his rage back at Engoron, stating that the judge knew nothing about him and was influenced by a political hack.
National security lawyer Bradley Moss commented on Twitter that Trump’s behavior in court displayed his privilege in the case. Moss also explained that Engoron remained relatively quiet during the outburst because this was not a jury trial. Trump had lost the argument regarding political motivation in pre-trial motions, and as the trier of fact, the judge did not need to intervene.
Overall, Trump’s outburst during his civil fraud trial created a heated atmosphere in the courtroom, with the former president directing his anger towards both the judge and the attorney general.
