Former President Donald Trump’s Thursday courtroom tirade could backfire, legal experts warn.

Trump attorney Chris Kise asked Judge Arthur Engoron, who is overseeing Trump’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 “political witch hunt” and demanding “damages” because the real “fraud is on me.”

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

“They made a mistake. It was an honest mistake,” Trump said.

James’ team allowed Trump to speak until the judge ultimately shut him down and pleaded for Kise to “control your client.”

“There may be a reason that James’ staff didn’t interrupt,” wrote NBC News legal analyst Lisa Rubin. “The AG’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 ‘error.’”

  • shalafi@lemmy.worldEnglish
    40·
    11 months ago

    One would think that with all the litigation this man has been involved in throughout his life, he’d have sense enough to STFU. Especially in a trial where he’s already been found liable and is in the penalty phase.

    More evidence that some form of dementia has set in, and is getting worse. Irrational anger is part of the deal.

    People bag on me for saying this, but look at Trump interviews from the 80s and 90s, even the 00s. He may have been full of shit, but he could string a sentence together. You could parse meaning from his speech. Though this outburst seemed pretty straightforward, his speech over the last 2-3 years has been teetering on the edge of full-blown dementia.

    I give him 2-years until he’s screaming that Nazi squirrels are stealing his acorns.

    • jonne@infosec.pub
      9·
      11 months ago

      He’s never really had a good track record in cases that actually went to court. You can bully vendors, mistresses and customers with endless court cases, but the government has unlimited lawyers to throw at you, so that strategy doesn’t work any more.

      • shalafi@lemmy.worldEnglish
        5·
        10 months ago

        Watch the video of his election night win at Trump Tower. Everyone is partying, he puts his head in his hands. I think he knew, at least on some level, that the game got far too serious for him. As you said, “unlimited lawyers”.

        And speaking of, I eat insurrectionist tears for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Nothing is stopping the FBI and DOJ. Every. Single. Day. Another one goes down. I’m here for it.

    • tristan@aussie.zone
      4·
      11 months ago

      Especially in a trial where he’s already been found liable and is in the penalty phase

      You forget that all this is playing for his base who he keeps telling that he’s innocent and will ultimately be found innocent… They still think there’s a chance he can win this and completely ignore the fact that the ruling has been made already against him

      • shalafi@lemmy.worldEnglish
        3·
        10 months ago

        You’re right! And I do forget that to my chagrin.

        Playing to his base almost worked on 01/06. He’s all in betting this election. No choice but to push in the whole pot and double down, no draw, win or lose.