(Daily Mail) Donald Trump is taking the stand in New York for his dramatic testimony in the $250 million fraud lawsuit that could sink his business empire in the Big Apple.
The former president was called as witness straight away and was sworn in after slamming the ‘political warfare’ against him that only takes place ‘in banana republics’.
The 77-year-old said he had been put in a ‘very unfair situation’ in the trial and discussed the New York Times poll showing him beating Joe Biden in five key swing states.
He also insisted Mar-a-Lago is worth ’50 to 100 times’ the $18million value prosecutors have determined, and claimed he is being targeted by people who ‘hate this country’.
Trump is accused of dramatically inflating his net worth and the value of his properties by billions to save millions on bank loans and insurance.
After entering the packed courtroom, New York state lawyer Kevin Wallace said: ‘The people call Donald J. Trump,’
Donald Trump has arrived at New York’s State Supreme Court to give blockbuster testimony in the $ 250 million fraud lawsuit that could sink his business empire in the Big Apple
The former president sits alongside his lawyers Christopher Kise (left) and Alina Habba (right). He was called as witness straight away and was sworn in after slamming the ‘political warfare’ against him that only takes place ‘in banana republics’
He walked across the front of the judge’s bench towards the witness stand. Then he was asked to ‘solemnly swear and affirm’ to tell the truth during the testimony and responded: ‘I do.’
Trump then confirmed his name and said he lives in Florida before Wallace’s questioning began.
In what has become a staple of his appearance in the New York courtroom, Trump addressed the press before walking inside.
‘So while Israel is being attacked, while Ukraine is being attacked, while inflation is eating our country alive, I’m down here,’ he said.
‘These are all political opponent attacks ads by the Biden administration, their poll numbers are terrible.
‘The New York Times came back with a poll that I’m leading all over the place, but it’s a very unfair situation.’
Earlier on Monday he said on Truth Social that the case is a way for President Joe Biden to ‘cheat’ in the 2024 presidential election – and took jabs at both Engoron and James for ‘election interference.’
James said ‘the numbers don’t lie’ when speaking about his business just moments before the court appearance began.
She persistently said she would ‘get’ Trump during her campaign to be the state’s attorney general.
‘Donald Trump repeatedly misrepresented and inflated the value of his assets,’ she said on Monday morning.
‘And before he takes the stand, I am certain that he will engage in name-calling and taunts and race-baiting and call this a witch hunt.
‘But at the end of the day, the only thing that matters are the facts and the numbers and numbers my friends don’t lie.’
The 77-year-old said he had been put in a ‘very unfair situation’ in the trial and discussed the New York Times poll showing him beating Joe Biden in five key swing states
The 77-year-old said he had been put in a ‘very unfair situation’ in the trial and discussed the New York Times poll showing him beating Joe Biden in five key swing states
Trump opts for a low-key entrance into the court, walking behind a city van into the building in downtown Manhattan
