Former President Donald Trump’s outburst during the closing arguments of his civil fraud trial will do damage to his ability to mount an appeal in the case, former federal prosecutor Glenn Kirschner said on Friday.
New York Attorney General Letitia James has sued Trump, his adult sons and The Trump Organization for $370 million, accusing them of frequently inflating Trump’s own net worth and the value of his assets by billions of dollars from 2011 to 2021 to secure better deals and loans. James’ lawsuit initially sought $250 million in damages. Trump and his family have dismissed the accusations and maintained their innocence, accusing prosecutors of being politically motivated and attempting to harm Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign.
In September 2023, Judge Arthur Engoron, who is overseeing the case, ruled that Trump and the other defendants were liable for committing fraud, with the case becoming focused on the severity of punishment that they will face. The judge is set to rule on how much will be owed in damages, and may permanently bar Trump and his associates from doing business in New York, as James has called for.
On Thursday, both sides in the case presented their closing arguments. Despite previously denying the former president the opportunity to speak during this time, after his team missed several deadlines, Trump attorney Christopher Kise requested that Trump be allowed to speak. When Engoron asked if he would keep his remarks focused solely on the facts of the case, Trump ignored the condition and began talking.
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“This was a political witch hunt; we should receive damages for what they have taken our company through. They have no documents—they have nothing!” Trump said, as reported by MSNBC correspondent Lisa Rubin who posted the comments to X, formerly Twitter. “I am an innocent man. I have been politically persecuted…This statute is vicious.”
After Engoron attempted to cut him off, the former president stood up and abruptly exited the courtroom.
Speaking on the matter in a YouTube video shared Friday, Kirschner, a former assistant U.S. attorney and frequent critic of the former president, said the outburst from Trump will hurt his chances of a more lenient ruling in the case, as well as his chances of being able to mount an appeal.
“It’s not going to help Donald Trump with respect to Judge Engoron’s decision, and it’s not going to help Donald Trump on appeal,” he said. “That when Judge Engoron bent over backwards to give Donald Trump something he wasn’t even entitled to, Donald Trump abused that ruling, abused that privilege. That will hurt Donald Trump in the trial court, and in the appellate court, and that is a good thing.”
Newsweek reached out to Trump’s legal team via email for comment.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.