Donald Trump Court Fire Raises Questions

A fire deliberately lit in the courthouse where Donald Trump's fate in his civil fraud trial will be decided has sparked speculation on social media, with people wondering who started it and why.

In September, Judge Arthur Engoron issued a partial summary judgment in the case brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James, ruling that Trump and top executives at The Trump Organization had committed fraud. He held that Trump grossly inflated the value of his assets to obtain more favorable terms from lenders and insurers. The rest of the trial will determine how much the Republican will pay in damages, and rule on six other accusations—including falsifying business records, insurance fraud and a conspiracy claim.

Engoron on Wednesday heard the last testimony as the trial came to a close after 10 weeks, and a verdict is expected next month. But four hours after the proceedings wrapped up, a small fire caused more drama.

Speaking to Business Insider, two courthouse officials said a man lit papers on fire in the state's Supreme Court in lower Manhattan, and then set off fire extinguishers, prompting an evacuation. The man, who wasn't identified and wasn't a courthouse employee, was arrested, they said.

There is not yet any indication of who caused the fire and what their intention was. Newsweek has contacted the New York Police Department and the New York City Fire Department by email to comment on this story.

According to the Daily Mail 17 people were injured.

"Preliminary information indicates that at approximately 4:15 p.m. today, an individual depressed a fire extinguisher on the fourth floor at 60 Centre Street to douse a fire he had set to papers," Al Baker, the spokesperson for the state's court system, told the publication.

"The New York Fire Department responded. Three floors of the courthouse were evacuated. There are no serious injuries reported. The incident is being investigated and the individual is in custody."

Writing on X, formerly Twitter, people wondered who started the fire. Democratic supporter Jon Westergren wrote: "I think this is just the beginning There's going to be more civil unrest."

Another X user wrote: "Did a Trump supporter set a fire at the court hall where the trial is being done?"

A third wrote: "It was not immediately clear what prompted the man to set the fire...' Oh please, we all KNOW why— Trump's lies will get someone injured or killed."

There is no evidence to support these claims.

The former president, who has denied all wrongdoing in the case, wasn't in the courthouse at the time of the fire

Correction, 12/14/23, 4:45 a.m. ET: This article was updated to clarify that it is not known where in the courthouse the fire broke out.