Trump in Court for Closing Arguments He Was Barred From Making

Donald Trump made his entrance into the final arguments of his New York civil fraud trial amid heightened security due to a bomb threat at the residence of Judge Arthur Engoron, who recently prohibited the former president from delivering his own closing statements. The threat at Judge Engoron’s Long Island home did not disrupt the proceedings. Trump, a prominent candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, continued his criticism of the judge, alleging collusion with the New York attorney general through a social media post and denouncing the court’s decision as “political interference.”

Expressing frustration, Trump stated, “At this moment, the judge is not letting me make the summation because I’ll bring up things he doesn’t want to hear,” asserting that the case should never have been brought. Despite Trump’s desire to speak, his lawyer refrained from raising the issue and proceeded with the closing argument. The day started with a pre-dawn “swatting incident” at Judge Engoron’s residence, following a pattern of recent false reports targeting public officials’ homes.

In a delayed start to the proceedings, Judge Engoron did not address the incident at his home. The previous day, he rejected Trump’s unconventional plan to present his closing remarks in addition to those from his legal team, emphasizing the need to stick to “relevant” matters. The trial revolves around allegations that Trump inflated his wealth on financial statements submitted to various institutions. Trump’s lawyer, Christopher Kise, argued, “Forty-four days of trial — not one witness came into this courtroom, your honor, and said there was fraud.”

New York Attorney General Letitia James seeks $370 million in penalties, while Trump maintains his innocence, arguing that external accountants should have identified any discrepancies. The former president, initially eager to present his case, had his request denied by the judge due to missed deadlines and restrictions on using closing remarks for campaign purposes or attacking the judge and his staff.

As the trial continues, lawyers from James’ office are set to deliver their closing argument. Trump attended the court session as a spectator, despite personal challenges such as the recent passing of his mother-in-law and the commencement of the presidential primary season in Iowa. Throughout the trial, Trump has made frequent court appearances, expressing his disdain for what he calls a “witch hunt and a disgrace.”

Beyond this trial, Trump faces a complex legal landscape, including recent court appearances in Washington, D.C., related to charges of plotting to overturn the 2020 election. James initiated the lawsuit in 2022, utilizing state law to investigate persistent fraud allegations in Trump’s business dealings. Key issues were decided pretrial, with Judge Engoron ruling that Trump committed years of fraud by misrepresenting his wealth on financial statements.

The trial involves multiple claims, including conspiracy, insurance fraud, and falsifying business records. Trump’s company and his sons, Eric and Donald Jr., are co-defendants, and James aims to bar them from conducting business in New York. State lawyers argue that Trump’s misrepresentation enabled him to secure more favorable loan terms, saving him at least $168 million.

In defense, Kise portrayed Trump as a longstanding figure in the commercial real estate industry and emphasized the former president’s intention for lenders to conduct their own research. Kise argued that the financial statements understated Trump’s net worth, acknowledging minor discrepancies in asset valuations while asserting substantial undervaluation of other assets. Judge Engoron, tasked with deciding the case without a jury, aims to reach a decision by the end of the month, having previously indicated a predisposition to find liability on some claims in a ruling last month.