Former President Donald Trumpā€™s Thursday courtroom tirade could backfire, legal experts warn.

Trump attorney Chris Kise asked Judge Arthur Engoron, who is overseeing Trumpā€™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 ā€œpolitical witch huntā€ and demanding ā€œdamagesā€ because the real ā€œfraud is on me.ā€

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

ā€œThey made a mistake. It was an honest mistake,ā€ Trump said.

Jamesā€™ team allowed Trump to speak until the judge ultimately shut him down and pleaded for Kise to ā€œcontrol your client.ā€

ā€œThere may be a reason that Jamesā€™ staff didnā€™t interrupt,ā€ wrote NBC News legal analyst Lisa Rubin. ā€œThe AGā€™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 ā€˜error.ā€™ā€

  • Boddhisatva@lemmy.world
    531Ā·
    10 months ago

    Apparently so. Rolling Stone ran an article where they claim to have been informed by sources that the rant was rehearsed.

    According to two people familiar with the matter who spoke to Rolling Stone, in recent weeks Trump had told several close allies of his intention to personally deliver a closing argument, and at times previewed some of the things he wanted to say before the judge. One of the sources describes it as the ex-president informally ā€œrehearsingā€ his spite-filled court monologue for his friends.

    This idiot thinks heā€™s in a courtroom drama.

      • Zoboomafoo@slrpnk.net
        1Ā·
        10 months ago

        Iā€™m not denying heā€™s bootleg Hitler, but thatā€™s an odd simile to make. What politician doesnā€™t practice their speeches?

        • Natanael@slrpnk.net
          3Ā·
          10 months ago

          Itā€™s not supposed to be a speech in a closing argument. Like, thatā€™s contempt of court territory!

        • jaxxed@lemmy.world
          1Ā·
          10 months ago

          There is a well known speech by hitler after his trial (IIRC for treason) which halve owed support for him because of his oration.