‘Rogue’: Donald Trump blasts judge outside court as he arrives to fight charges in civil fraud trial

Donald Trump has given a stunning spray to the judge in his $392m civil fraud trial outside a courtroom, after making a surprise appearance for opening statements.

Former US President Donald Trump arrives at New York State Supreme Court to start the civil fraud trial against him on October 02, 2023. Picture: Getty Images.

Former US President Donald Trump has blasted a judge presiding over his $250 million (A$329m) civil fraud trial outside the lower Manhattan courthouse, after arriving for opening statements over charges he overinflated the values of his many properties.

New York Judge Arthur Engoron has already ruled that Mr Trump and his sons Eric and Don Jr committed fraud by inflating the value of the real estate and financial assets of the Trump Organisation for years.

New York Attorney General Letitia James is now seeking $250 million (A$329m) in penalties and the removal of Mr Trump and his sons from management of the family empire.

Ms James accused the former president on Monday of “persistent and repeated fraud” and said “justice will prevail.” “No matter how powerful you are, no matter how much money you think you may have, no one is above the law,” she said.

Mr Trump appeared stoic as he was photographed entering the court, before telling reporters that the trial is a “continuation of the greatest witch hunt.”

He went on to slam Justice Engoron as a “rogue judge,” and accused Ms James of being a “racist attorney general.”

“We have a racist attorney general who is a horror show who ran on the basis that she’s going to get Trump before she knew anything about me,” he as he arrived for the opening day of what could be a three-month trial.

“It’s a scam, it’s a sham. Just so you know, my financial statements are phenomenal,” Mr Trump continued.

“There was no crime – the crime was against me.”

Former US President Donald Trump speaks to the media as he arrives at New York State Supreme Court to start the civil fraud trial against him on October 02, 2023. Picture: Getty.

The fraud trial, one of several legal battles against the 77-year-old Trump, could potentially see the former president barred from doing business in New York state.

“This has to do with election interference, plain and simple,” Mr Trump said.

“What we have here is an attempt to hurt me in an election.”

The judge overseeing the New York civil case previously ruled that Mr Trump, his two eldest sons and other Trump Organisation executives lied to tax collectors, lenders and insurers for years in a scheme that exaggerated the value of their properties by $812 million to $2.2 billion between 2014 and 2021.

As a result, the judge revoked the business licenses that allowed the Trump Organisation to operate some of its New York properties.

Speaking outside the courtroom on a lunch break, Mr Trump again took aim at the judge overseeing his fraud case.

“Let’s go to trial because this is a judge that should be disbarred,” Mr Trump said on Monday.

“This is a judge that should be out of office. This is a judge that some people say could be charged criminally for what he’s doing,” he added after flipping through a stack of articles challenging the findings that overinflating property values is illegal.

“He’s interfering with an election and it’s a disgrace.”

Former US President Donald Trump leaves for a lunch break during his civil fraud trial at the New York State Supreme Court in New York City on October 2, 2023. Picture: AFP.

While turning to leave, Mr Trump was asked why he chose to attend the first day of the trial, which he was not required to do, and responded that he wanted to “watch this witch hunt myself”, The NY Post reports.

“This is a pure witch hunt for purposes of interfering with the elections of the United States of America,” Mr Trump said as he went to leave.

“This judge should be disbarred, he shouldn’t be allowed to be a judge. Thank you.”

The trial will determine how much Trump and his companies will be penalised for the fraud a judge prevously ruled he was responsible for. Picture: Spencer Platt/Getty Images.

Kevin Wallace, an attorney from the Attorney-General’s Office, opened the trial Monday by giving his opening statement.

He claimed the prosecutors will prove “that the defendants engaged in repeated, persistent illegal acts in the conduct of business.”

Mr Trump was seen shaking his head as Wallace spoke.

The former president had earlier posted on Truth Social that he arrived in the courthouse “TO FIGHT A CORRUPT & RACIST ATTORNEY GENERAL, AND A ROGUE, OUT OF CONTROL, TRUMP HATING JUDGE, WHO REFUSES TO FOLLOW THE APPELLATE COURT DECISION WHICH KNOKS OUT 80% OF THIS SHAM CASE.”

Mr Trump - who made his reputation and fortune as a real estate mogul in the 1980s - could eventually lose control over many of his company’s flagship properties, such as his 5th Avenue Trump Tower in Manhattan.

Protestors hold placards before the arrival of former President Donald Trump to New York State Supreme court for the start of the civil fraud trial against him. Picture: AFP.

In addition to this civil case, Mr Trump also faces several major criminal proceedings in the months ahead.

He is scheduled to appear before a federal judge in Washington on March 4 on charges of trying to overthrow the results of the 2020 presidential election won by Joe Biden.

Trump will then be back in New York state court, this time on criminal hush money charges, and later in a Florida federal court, where he is accused of mishandling classified documents after leaving office.

Finally, he will also have to answer to state charges in Georgia, where prosecutors say Mr Trump illegally tried to get the southern state’s 2020 election results changed in his favor.

- With AFP

Originally published as ‘Rogue’: Donald Trump blasts judge outside court as he arrives to fight charges in civil fraud trial