'Can you control your client?' Judge Engoron loses patience over Trump’s courtroom antics
Former President Donald Trump was in a combative mood when, on Monday morning, November 6, he testified in New York State Attorney General Letitia James' civil fraud case against his company.
Trump lashed out at James as well as Justice Arthur Engoron, the judge assigned to the case. James alleges that Trump and the Trump Organization deceived lenders by seriously inflating the value of the company's real estate assets.
Around 11:47 a.m., Trump was asked why he wasn't involved in a 2021 statement on the Trump Organization's financial condition. And Trump, according to Bloomberg News reporters Erik Larson and Patricia Hurtado, responded that he was too busy "keeping our country safe."
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Trump testified, "My threshold was China, Russia."
However, Deputy New York State Attorney General Kevin Wallace, according to Larson and Hurtado, asked, "But, just for the record, you weren't president in 2021?" And Trump replied, "No, I wasn't."
Trump was president for only 19 full days in 2021. President Joe Biden was sworn in as president on January 20, 2021, the day Trump left the White House and moved into Mar-a-Lago.
Engoron threatened to excuse Trump as a witness because of his unsolicited commentary on the witness stand.
READ MORE: Combative Trump on witness stand admonished after lashing out at judge
At one point, a frustrated Engoron asked Trump's lawyers, "Can you control your client?"
Engoron told the courtroom, "We are not here to hear what he has to say. We are here to hear him answer the questions. And most of the time, he's not."
READ MORE: 'Patience is wearing thin': Here are 5 key takeaways from Trump’s civil fraud trial
Read Bloomberg News' full report at this link.
