Associated Press
After turns as a real estate magnate, a New York tabloid mainstay, a reality TV star and president of the United States, Donald Trump is settling into a new role: defendant.
The front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination spent two days this week in a Manhattan courtroom where a civil fraud trial is unfolding. Trump is accused of grossly inflating his net worth and the value of marquee assets on paperwork used to secure financing and make deals.
In the courtroom, Trump is often subdued, sitting between his lawyers and staring straight ahead with a scowl as he studiously ignores his adversary, New York Attorney General Letitia James. But when he steps into the hallway where a phalanx of TV cameras awaits, Trump transforms into his familiar political persona, eager to spin the proceedings in his favor.
“If I wasn’t here, probably — maybe — people wouldn’t see the facts the way they are,” Trump said during one of his swings before the cameras on Wednesday.
Trump, who also attended portions of the civil trial earlier this month, is under no legal obligation to attend the proceedings. But in a preview of how he’ll likely approach the more serious criminal trials that will begin in the coming months, Trump uses the appearances as an extension of his presidential campaign, betting he can shape perceptions and portray himself as a political leader under attack.
The strategy has helped energize his supporters — and fill his campaign coffers — by casting his legal troubles as part of a broad conspiracy to deny him the presidency and rob him of the real estate empire he spent decades building. But it’s also testing the limits of Trump’s ability to harness his showmanship in a way that bends political and legal realities.
Trump was fined $5,000 on Friday after a copy of a social media post in which he disparaged a key court staffer was discovered on his campaign website long after he was ordered to delete it.
And during the same week that Trump was largely focused on New York, his legal vulnerabilities intensified elsewhere. In Washington, a federal judge imposed a limited gag order barring Trump from making statements targeting prosecutors, possible witnesses and court staff. For someone who sees few limits in attacking his perceived enemies, that order may be tested soon.
And in Georgia, lawyer Sidney Powell pleaded guilty Thursday to reduced charges over efforts to overturn Trump’s 2020 loss in the state. Kenneth Chesebro, a lawyer accused of coordinating a slate of false electors to vote for the former president, pleaded guilty Friday.
The deals with Atlanta prosecutors could heighten Trump’s legal exposure there if Powell agrees to testify against the former president.
On top of that, Trump was overshadowed by the escalating war between Israel and Hamas as well as the failure of Republicans to elect a new Speaker of the House. While Trump’s initial appearances drew a media maelstrom, with cable news networks airing live footage of his motorcade journey, this week’s have drawn far less attention.
There have been fewer reporters and more empty seats in the courtroom gallery as news outlets have pulled back on covering his courthouse sojourns because the novelty has worn off. Unaccustomed to losing the spotlight, Trump acknowledged the challenge Tuesday.
“Despite my being here, the talk is all about Biden getting ready to fly to the Middle East to see Abbas, meeting arranged, and Abbas just cancelled,” he wrote on his social media platform. “No respect for the United States of America!”
His public mood shifted throughout his time at the trial. He emerged from the courtroom elated on some days, predicting at one point that 80% of the $250 million fraud case would be thrown out because the judge had been receptive to an argument by his lawyers.
Other times he has come out fuming, like on Wednesday when he accused the government of lying after one of his lawyers alleged a witness had perjured himself. Again and again, he casts the proceedings as “rigged,” a “disgrace” and part of a broader plot by Democrats to hobble his chances.
“I should be in Iowa now. I should be in New Hampshire now. I should be in South Carolina now or someplace else, campaigning,” Trump complained Tuesday.
In the courtroom, he’ll lean in occasionally to confer with counsel and follow along with a live transcript of the proceedings on a screen in front of him. Sometimes he’ll flip through a pile of papers or react to testimony with a grimace or other expression.
On Wednesday, Judge Arthur Engoron warned Trump and others involved in the case to keep their voices down after he conferred animatedly with his lawyers at the defense table while a witness was testifying against him.
Trump threw up his hands in frustration and grumbled to his lawyers, prompting state lawyer Kevin Wallace to ask Engoron to ask the defense to “stop commenting during the witness’ testimony,” adding that the “exhortations” were audible on the witness’ side of the room. The judge then asked everyone to keep their voices down, “particularly if it’s meant to influence the testimony.”
Otherwise, Trump has shown unusual restraint for a man who’s used to being the center of attention, able to say and do as he pleases.
Aside from the historic nature of having a former president and current candidate at the defense table, Trump is something of a non-factor in the courtroom itself — typically seen, but not heard. The most unusual aspect of his attendance is often the moment when a small pool of photographers and video cameras parades into the room for a few minutes to capture the scene for posterity before testimony begins. It’s a spectacle, with photographers jostling for position between the defense table and the judge’s bench — with all eyes on the commotion.
While Trump’s appearances in New York over the last few weeks have been purely voluntary, that will change as the civil case continues and his four criminal cases move toward trial. The former president will be required to return to New York to testify in his civil trial, likely in a few weeks. His lawyers have already told the judge he’ll be unavailable for several days around the Nov. 7 off-year election.
25 comments
My Take
October 21, 2023 at 6:34 pm
Jailbird or Yardbird will be preferable.
Earl Pitts "Florida's BIG VOICE on The Right" American
October 22, 2023 at 9:51 am
Lap it up Hogs,
Your daily dose of A. P. Propaganda tasting good?
Enjoy the rest of your weekend you brain-washed Dook 4 Brains Lefty Robots,
Earl Pitts “Be More Like Earl” American
rick whitaker
October 23, 2023 at 6:10 am
CAUTION ⚠ EARL COMMENT
rick whitaker
October 21, 2023 at 8:30 pm
the gop is sick and needs a transfusion. trump is a cancer.
My Take
October 22, 2023 at 12:07 am
Things not looking too good for Trumpy.
Just as DeSScamus’s once-favorable position as secoñd in line is beinng çhewed away by Haley.
The fates may dislike him too.
EliotG
October 22, 2023 at 9:29 am
TDS on display.
My Take
October 22, 2023 at 9:56 am
Most of the GOP display the Trump Deification Syndrome.
EliotG
October 22, 2023 at 9:58 am
Sure. Everything is so much better now than when Trump was president.
Tom
October 22, 2023 at 10:12 am
Actually it is. We don’t have to see/hear trump every day. It’s nice not to to be embarrassed by or for him.
My Take
October 22, 2023 at 10:28 am
I enjoy that when we do hear from him he is outraged. Outraged that he is, at long last, being held accountable for something.
EliotG
October 22, 2023 at 10:46 am
Ah. I get it. Uncontrolled southern border, a totally disasterous withdrawal from Afghanistan, Ukraine on fire, the Middle East on fire, inflation wiping out retirement savings, China resurgent, fentanyl deaths at an all time high, lawlessness in cities. Yep. Things are better now.
My Take
October 22, 2023 at 11:08 am
Fox Fake News
And you forgot murder hornets and drag shows.
EliotG
October 22, 2023 at 12:00 pm
You assume FNC is my source for news. Never watch FNC BTW. I’ll assume you get your news from MSNBC or CNN. And I’ll also assume that Hamas loving AP is also one of you sources. So what do you think is fake? Some of what I mentioned or all of it?
Silly Wabbit
October 22, 2023 at 1:00 pm
You kwazy.
My Take
October 22, 2023 at 11:35 am
TRUMP the ACCUSED
I’m happy for his old enemies in NYC who finally get to see him face some music.
EliotG
October 22, 2023 at 12:50 pm
ACCUSED. Please enlighten us as to the complaint made against Trump and his organization by NY State. I’ve certainly never heard of a government entity being a plaintif in a civil suit when there are no victims.
Silly Wabbit
October 22, 2023 at 1:00 pm
Twump Suckew.
rick whitaker
October 22, 2023 at 5:56 pm
trump is a fraud, he makes victims out of everyone he frauds. if you are a trump supporter, then you can go visit him when he goes to jail. ” no victims”, you are a maga cultist for sure. cultist don’t think, they just follow the cult leader. what does the g stand for, gullible. no victims, what a joke.
Mother Superior Slapshot, Bishop Hedman Academy
October 22, 2023 at 1:20 pm
Oh goodness gracious me, Mister EliotG, you certainly wear your pants too small:
“Ah. I get it. Uncontrolled southern border, a totally disasterous withdrawal from Afghanistan, Ukraine on fire, the Middle East on fire, inflation wiping out retirement savings, China resurgent, fentanyl deaths at an all time high, lawlessness in cities. Yep. Things are better now.”
Your sarcasm would work far better if you were reciting a list of new events, when in fact all of these events were in place during the previous administration, with the exception of the withdrawal from Afghanistan, which you correctly call a disaster while failing to acknowledge the lost lives of over 2,300 American military members prior to the withdrawal. Refugees at the border, Ukraine under attack (Russia occupying Crimean peninsula) Middle East bloodshed, inflation, China rising, fentanyl, crime in the cities — check, check, check, check, check, check, check, all there in the previous administration. Please check your facts next time. Sarcasm, like English, is a precise tool, and should be used precisely.
And buy yourself some big boy pants, dear, you deserve a little letting out, bless your heart.
EliotG
October 22, 2023 at 2:45 pm
I’m not sure where you get your “facts” from. Here are some facts you attribute to the previous (Trump) administration. In Afghanistan, no American military were killed. Those 2300 KIA you mentioned happened under Obama/Biden. Russia occupying Crimea also occured under Obama/Biden with no consequences. The Middle East was relatively quiet, hence the Abraham Accords negotiated by the Trump Administration. The southern border was mostly under control due to Trump policies like remain in Mexico and getting the Mexican government to close its southern border and to patrol its side of the US border with its own military. I remember the children in cages hoax using photos take during the Obama/Biden administration. Economic growth under Obama/Biden was slooowww; boomed under Trump with virtually no inflation. So please pardon my ignorance and enlighten me as to how our country is better now, under Biden, than it was in the previous administration.
Facts Up Your Butt
October 22, 2023 at 3:33 pm
AP: “In 18 months in Afghanistan, we lost nobody,” he (Trump) later emphasized after mentioning that day’s deadly shooting in Buffalo, New York, in which a white gunman killed 10 Black people in a supermarket.
Trump didn’t specify which 18-month period he was referencing, and a spokesperson didn’t respond to a request for clarification.
During Trump’s presidency, which ran from January 20, 2017, to January 20, 2021, there were 45 combat deaths among U.S. service members reported in Afghanistan, as well as 18 “non-hostile” deaths, according to the Defense Casualty Analysis System.
There was an 18-month stretch that saw no combat, or “hostile,” deaths in Afghanistan: from early February 2020 to August 2021.
Even Trump didn’t make your ridiculous claim of no US deaths in Afghanistan for the entire four years he was in office. You must really have your head up his butt. Too bad you don’t have facts up your butt, then you’d know where to find them.
The rest of your claims are also fantasy, but no sense trying to teach you, your head is stuck.
My Take
October 22, 2023 at 4:31 pm
He “ķnows” what the hate media tell him.
EliotG
October 22, 2023 at 4:41 pm
I stand corrected. So 45 KIA (which is 45 too many) vs. 2300 attributed to Trump by MSS,BHA. So, FUYB back at you.
You say I made up all the rest of my claims and infer I’m stupid or ignorant. I won’t infer anything. I say you won’t or can’t refute my claims because you are either stupid at best or willfully ignorant at worst.
On a side note. I do try to keep my comments civil. It amazes me that you libs always resort to name calling when your cherished feelings about things are challenged.
rick whitaker
October 22, 2023 at 5:59 pm
dudes that believe propaganda, can’t be enlightened. you need to listen, not talk.
My Take
October 22, 2023 at 5:32 pm
The election is a year away.
Lots of legal news is going to be bad for Tru,mp’s image.
And a whole campaign of what is wrong and dangerous about Trump is ahead.
And another on Biden’s actual accomplishments. All the public has now is the rightwing smear campaign.
Things will change when the Dems start talking loudly in an actùal national campaign.
The public needs to be made very afraid of a Trump-II term. Fascism. AntiAmericanism. Rampant racism and hate. Happy Nazis and Klsnsmen.
Comments are closed.