Donald Trump’s frustrations with his ongoing civil fraud trial in New York are bubbling up in the courtroom, intensifying an already irritated mood during the early days of the proceedings.
On Wednesday, the former president was warned by Judge Arthur Engoron to behave after he was seen shaking his head, throwing his hands in the air and speaking out loud during witness testimony.
Trump appeared agitated in the courtroom as real estate appraiser Doug Larson took the stand. At one point, he was seen talking animatedly with his defense team, prompting state lawyers to ask the judge to step in and address the “exhortations” being heard in the courtroom. Engoron then asked everyone to stay quiet during testimony, “particularly if it’s meant to influence the testimony.”
Trump’s demeanor this week appears to reflect his growing anger over the various lawsuits he’s fighting. The former president was seen glaring at New York Attorney General Letitia James, shaking his head and crossing his arms on the first day of the trial, but the judge did not react.
His behavior at the trial has also revealed his particular annoyance with the trial in New York, where he’s shed the calm, stoic attitude he displayed during his four criminal arraignments, in Manhattan, Florida, Atlanta and Washington, D.C. James’ office is accusing the former president, his two eldest sons and the Trump Organization of wildly inflating his net worth and assets to deceive banks, insurers and others. Trump has denied any wrongdoing.
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Trump returned to New York on Tuesday after skipping the second week of the trial. He attended the trial in person for the first three days, a rare appearance since the former president typically does not go to a courtroom when he is not required to. On Monday, he skipped a hearing in Washington, D.C., that resulted in a limited gag order imposed on him by a federal judge in the 2020 election interference case, choosing to campaign in Iowa instead.
Trump has already been found liable for fraud in connection with the $250 million lawsuit brought by James, but the trial is addressing other accusations, including falsification of business records and conspiracy.
While Trump was in the courtroom this week, the star witness that he planned to watch was not there. Michael Cohen, Trump’s former fixer-turned-foe, had been expected to take the stand Tuesday but told the court last Friday that health problems prevented him from appearing. Engoron said Cohen’s testimony is likely to be delayed for at least a week.
Instead, Larson appeared for his testimony, repeatedly insisting that he appraised Trump’s properties correctly, remarks that drew audible exasperation from the former president.
At one point, when Larson was asked about emails that contradicted his Tuesday testimony, one of Trump’s lawyers jumped in, saying the appraiser should consult his own attorney because he thought the witness could perjure himself.
“This is some kind of performance, I take it, for the press,” state attorney Kevin Wallace said about Trump’s defense team, to which Trump lawyer Chris Kise fired back, “Unlike the government, I take his rights seriously.”
Kise’s remarks were met with shouts of “Come on!” and “Stop!” by several lawyers from James’ office.
But at that point, Engoron, who previously said he wanted the questioning to move along without interruption, wasn’t interested in giving Larson the chance to speak with his attorney. The judge told the court, “So what? If he’s perjured himself, then he’s perjured himself. Get him back on the stand.”
Outside of the courtroom, Trump appeared to seize on the comments from his team, telling reporters, “See what’s happened? The government’s lying. They lied. They didn’t reveal all the information they had, and evidence they had that shows how innocent I am.”