Trump testimony sparks testy exchanges in New York fraud trial

The presiding judge repeatedly rebuked him for veering off on tangents and at one point pleaded: ‘You can attack me or whatever you want, but please answer the questions.’

Former US President Donald Trump prepares to testify during his trial at New York State Supreme Court in New York.

A defiant Donald Trump offered a rambling defence of his business empire in sworn testimony Monday, as the judge presiding over his civil fraud trial repeatedly rebuked him for veering off on tangents while on the witness stand.

The former president took the stand under oath in a Manhattan courtroom to face questioning from the New York attorney general’s office, which alleges he and his business engaged in a lengthy scheme to inflate his worth for financial gain.

Trump testified that his financial statements, far from overstating his worth, didn’t capture how rich he actually was, and that banks that made loans to him didn’t care about the statements anyway.

As Trump offered a series of lengthy digressions, the presiding judge furiously implored him to answer questions directly and commanded Trump’s lawyers to contain their client.

“Control him if you can,” State Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron said. “If you can’t control him, I will.”

Trump, who has offered blistering criticisms of Engoron in courthouse hallways and on social media, voiced a dim view of the judge during his testimony.

“I’m sure the judge will rule against me because he always rules against me,” the former president testified.

At times Engoron raised his voice in exasperation. “Mr Trump, please just answer the questions,” he said.

“You can attack me or whatever you want, but just please answer the questions.”

Trump said the financial statements he submitted to lenders underestimated his worth “by substantial amounts” because they didn’t capture the value of his brand and undervalued properties such as Mar-a-Lago, his Florida estate. But the statements, he said, also included disclaimers about their reliability.

Chris Kise, a lawyer for Trump, asked that his client be given room to explain his answers. “I think you can afford the former president of the United States a little latitude,” he said.

“This is not a political rally,” Engoron said during one of his exchanges with Trump’s lawyers. “I don’t need editorialising. We’ll be here forever.”

When Trump spoke at length about how much banks wanted to work with him — “They liked me very much,” he said — the judge had had enough.

“Stricken!” Engoron said of Trump’s comments.

Judge Arthur Engoron presides as Donald Trump appears in State Supreme Court in Manhattan. Picture: AFP

Trump’s appearance is his first as a witness at the trial, although he has previously attended the proceedings and sparred with the judge. For Trump, the stakes are high: While he will likely seek to defend his personal identity as a real-estate mogul and the professional practices with which he built his family business, any penalties for untruthful testimony could be significant.

Trump told reporters outside the courtroom that he was looking forward to testifying, but called the trial ridiculous.

“It’s a very unfair situation,” he said. “This is really election interference.” New York Attorney General Letitia James said outside the courthouse Monday that she was certain Trump would engage in name-calling, taunts and race-baiting even before he took the stand.

“At the end of the day, the only thing that matters are the facts and the numbers,” she said. “And numbers, my friends, don’t lie,” she said.

James, a Democrat, has accused Trump and his family business of a decadelong conspiracy to manipulate asset values for financial gain. She is seeking about $250 million in financial penalties in addition to measures that would cripple Trump’s business from operating in New York.

Two of Trump’s adult sons testified last week, and his daughter, Ivanka Trump, is set to be questioned Wednesday. The attorney general’s office is expected to rest its case after her testimony, clearing the way for the Trump lawyers to call witnesses as soon as later this week. Trump said in court that his lawyers were bringing in “very big bankers” to testify.

The Wall Street Journal