Closing arguments in New York’s civil fraud trial against Donald Trump took place on Thursday without an in-court word from the former president — who spent days rehearsing what he thought would be a blistering, dramatic conclusion to the case that will determine the fate of his business empire.
On Wednesday, the theatrical plan by Trump and his attorneys to have the former president personally deliver his own closing statement fell apart after Trump’s legal team, led by Chris Kise, refused to agree to conditions that would restrict him from going off-topic or attacking individuals involved in the trial.
Trump had been preparing for an opportunity to rant in court.
According to two people familiar with the matter, in recent weeks Trump had told several close allies of his intention to personally deliver a closing argument, and at times previewed some of the things he wanted to say before the judge. One of the sources describes it as the ex-president informally “rehearsing” his spite-filled court monologue for his friends.
Based on what the two sources relay to Rolling Stone this week, it appears Judge Arthur Engoron’s assumption that Trump would use the forum to stage a de facto campaign event was right on the money. The former president’s private “rehearsing” of what he’d say included haranguing the judge’s staff, railing against the New York attorney general as “racist” and soft on crime, claiming that the trial was an example of the Democratic Party and Biden administration supposedly trying to “rig” the 2024 election, and gratuitously boasting of the values of his sprawling business and real-estate empire, among other jabs and bluster.
After Engoron denied his request, a defiant Trump addressed reporters before entering the courtroom on Thursday, calling the trial a “disgrace” and a “terrible witch hunt.”
“I want to speak, I want to make the summation,” he said, adding that Engoron “is not letting me make the summation because I’ll bring up things that he doesn’t want to hear.” The former president added that instead of delivering his remarks before the judge, he and his lawyers would be holding a press conference after the court adjourns.
In September of 2022, the state of New York sued the former president, his adult sons, several of his business associates, and the Trump Organization in civil court. New York Attorney General Letitia James alleged that the conglomerate had “falsely and fraudulently valued multiple assets and misrepresented those values to financial institutions for economic benefit.”
A year later, Engoron ruled that the former president, his company, and several of the associates named in the lawsuit were liable for having committed fraud, and revoked the New York business licenses held by the defendants in the lawsuit — effectively destroying the Trump Organization’s ability to conduct business in the state.
The trial that has taken place over the last 44 days has no jury, and Engoron will directly determine the final penalties that will be leveled against the Trump family and its company.
Trump has adopted a similar tactic as he has in the slew of other criminal and civil litigation leveled against him since his departure from office: publicly attacking judges, prosecutors, and other individuals associated with the case.
Trump voluntarily attended multiple scheduled court dates in New York, taking advantage of the gaggles of reporters who’d gather at the courthouse by delivering rambling statements rife with attacks against Engoron, New York Attorney General Letitia James, and others involved. He also attacked Engoron’s clerk Allison Greenfield, as well as his wife on social media. The endless public targeting of court staff prompted Engoron to issue a partial gag order barring the former president, and anyone else involved in the trial, from “posting, emailing, or speaking publicly about any of my staff.” The order was later expanded to include Trump’s attorneys, who continued to attempt to impune Greenfield’s work with Engoron.
Trump’s relentless attacks against Engoron and his staff prompted a deluge of harassment and threats against the judge by the former president’s supporters. In November, the New York court system reported that Engoron and Greenfield had been subjected to a barrage of “serious and credible” threats against their safety. On Thursday, hours before closing arguments were scheduled to take place, Engoron’s home was swatted by a false bomb threat.
Engoron had no reason to think Trump would tone it down in court on Thursday. In one of the most chaotic moments of the trial, Engoron beseeched Trump’s attorneys to “control” the former president during his witness testimony before the court. The judge cautioned Trump and his attorneys that “this is not a political rally” and that if the former president would not cooperate Engoron would be forced to “excuse him and draw every negative inference that I can.”
Trump wanted to use the closing argument to get in a few more jabs, or as one of the people familiar with the matter puts it, he “just wanted to go off on the judge to his face one more time.”
He might not get to do it in court, but he’ll certainly have some choice words for Engoron in front of the cameras and on social media.
Daniel D`Amico for SANREMO.FM
