In a dramatic turn of events during his civil fraud trial, former President Donald Trump defied the court’s restrictions and launched into an unauthorized rant before Judge Arthur Engoron. Sources revealed that Trump had been rehearsing what he believed would be a scathing and powerful closing argument, despite being barred from personally delivering it. Trump’s legal team had refused to agree to conditions that would restrict him from going off-topic or attacking individuals involved in the trial, leading to the breakdown of their theatrical plan. Without waiting for permission, Trump unleashed a tirade filled with grievances, calling the trial a “political witch hunt” and insisting that damages should be awarded to him. Engoron allowed him to speak for a few minutes before cutting him off and instructing his attorneys to control him. Trump’s rehearsed monologue reportedly included attacks on the judge’s staff, accusations against the New York attorney general, claims of election rigging, and boasts about his business empire. Despite being denied the opportunity to deliver his remarks in court, Trump defiantly promised a press conference after the trial adjourned. The trial, which has been ongoing for 44 days without a jury, will determine the penalties imposed on the Trump family and their company. Throughout the proceedings, Trump has followed a familiar pattern of publicly attacking judges and prosecutors, which has led to a partial gag order and threats against the judge and his staff. As the trial nears its conclusion, Trump seemed determined to use his closing argument to take one more shot at the judge, disregarding the restrictions placed upon him.
1. Unauthorized Rant
Despite being barred from personally delivering his defense’s closing statements in his civil fraud trial, former President Donald Trump launched into an unauthorized rant before the court and Judge Arthur Engoron. Trump had been rehearsing what he believed would be a powerful and dramatic conclusion to the case, but the plan fell apart when his legal team refused to agree to conditions that would restrict him from going off-topic or attacking individuals involved in the trial.
2. Grievance-Laden Tirade
Trump disregarded Engoron’s permission and began delivering a tirade filled with grievances from the defense table. He called the trial a “political witch hunt” and claimed that damages should be awarded to him. Trump accused the court of perpetrating a fraud against him and insisted that he was an innocent man who had been persecuted by someone running for office. He expressed his belief that the bounds of the trial needed to be exceeded.
3. Rehearsed Monologue
According to sources, Trump had informally rehearsed his spite-filled court monologue for his close allies. During these rehearsals, he harangued the judge’s staff, attacked the New York attorney general as “racist” and soft on crime, claimed that the trial was an attempt to rig the 2024 election by the Democratic Party and Biden administration, and boasted about the values of his business empire.
4. Defiant Response
After Engoron denied his request to deliver the closing argument, Trump addressed reporters outside the courtroom, calling the trial a “disgrace” and a “terrible witch hunt.” He expressed his desire to speak and make the summation, claiming that Engoron didn’t want to hear certain things. Instead of delivering his remarks in court, Trump and his lawyers planned to hold a press conference after the court adjourned.
5. Intense Trial and Attacks
The civil fraud trial, which has been ongoing for 44 days without a jury, will determine the penalties imposed on the Trump family and their company. Throughout the proceedings, Trump has followed a pattern of publicly attacking judges, prosecutors, and other individuals associated with the case. His relentless attacks against Engoron and his staff led to a partial gag order and threats against the judge’s safety. The trial has been marked by chaos and tensions, with Engoron having to caution Trump and his attorneys to control their behavior during witness testimony.
In the closing arguments of the civil fraud trial against Donald Trump, the former president went off-script and launched into an unauthorized rant before the court and Judge Arthur Engoron. Despite being barred from personally delivering his defense’s closing statements, Trump couldn’t resist the opportunity to vent his grievances. He called the trial a “political witch hunt” and claimed that damages should be awarded to him. Trump accused the court of perpetrating a fraud against him and insisted that he was an innocent man who had been persecuted by someone running for office. Despite Engoron allowing him to speak for a few minutes, the judge eventually had to cut him off and instruct his attorneys to control their client. Throughout the trial, Trump has followed a pattern of publicly attacking judges, prosecutors, and other individuals involved in the case, leading to tensions and a partial gag order. The outcome of the trial will have significant implications for the Trump Organization and the legal consequences for the former president and his associates.