Trump lawyers resort to familiar 'witch hunt' themes as civil fraud trial gets underway

The bench trial in New York State Attorney General Letitia James' civil fraud trial against former President Donald Trump got underway on Monday, October 2, with Justice Arthur F. Engoron presiding.

James alleges that the Trump Organization seriously exaggerated the value of its real estate assets, and Engoron agreed with her in a late September ruling. Now, with the trial underway, it's a question of what types of sanctions and penalties Trump's company will face.

In an article published on October 2, the Daily Beast's Jose Pagliery stresses that Trump's lawyers have resorted to familiar MAGA themes during the trial.

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"The start of Trump's trial in New York was defined by the sorts of testy and performative exchanges that the former president — and his lawyers — have become notorious for," Pagliery explains. "Trump's legal arguments quickly devolved into back-and-forths between the judge and his lawyers, with Trump's attorneys repeatedly promoting talking points that have failed time and again."

For example, Pagliery notes, attorney Alina Habba used Trump's familiar "witch hunt" arguments and associated Trump's name with "the people."

Habba and fellow Trump attorney Clifford Roberts, according to Pagliery, attacked the credibility of Michael Cohen — Trump's former personal attorney and fixer and one of James' main witnesses in the case. Habba described Cohen as a "convicted felon" and "liar," glossing over the fact that Cohen went to prison because of acts he said he committed on Trump's behalf.

"At times," Pagliery notes, "the normally controlled courtroom atmosphere became something of a full-on debate between the judge and Trump's three lawyers, with Habba propping up Trump's ego as he sat at the defense table. She called the Trump Organization 'that beautiful company,' borrowing her client's typical manner of speech."

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Read the Daily Beast's full report at this link (subscription required).