Trump Scolded by Judge Within Minutes of Trial Testimony Starting

Judge Arthur Engoron scolded former President Donald Trump on Monday just minutes into his testimony during his civil fraud trial.

Trump took the stand to provide his highly-anticipated testimony in the trial into whether he committed business fraud through The Trump Organization. His testimony quickly grew contentious as the former president accused prosecutors of unjustly targeting him.

The trial stems from a lawsuit New York Attorney General Letitia James filed last year, alleging that former President Donald Trump and top executives at his family company, The Trump Organization, conspired to increase his net worth by billions of dollars on financial statements provided to banks and insurers to make deals and secure loans. Trump, who is campaigning for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination and is the current frontrunner, has denied any wrongdoing and has called the trial politically motivated. The lawsuit is civil, not criminal, meaning he will not face jail time.

Engoron previously ruled Trump, his adult sons, their businesses, and executives committed fraud and will now decide on six other accusations, including falsifying business records, insurance fraud, and conspiracy claims during the trial, as Trump's legal team did not opt for a jury trial. The result could see the former president lose some of his famous properties and be barred from doing business in New York.

During his testimony on Monday morning, prosecutors presented Trump with a statement of financial condition from June 30, 2011, reported The Messenger's Adam Klasfeld. Trump, however, dismissed the significance of that document, calling it a "worthless statement clause."

He then launched into a "monologue," complaining about the "crazy trial," Klasfeld reported, drawing rebuke from the judge, who told Trump to only answer the questions presented to him.

"I'm sure the judge will rule against me because he always rules against me," the former president said in response.

Engoron then asked Trump attorney Christopher Kise if Trump's response "was necessary," warning the former president, "You can attack me, do whatever you want, but answer the question," according to Klasfeld.

Following another comment from Trump a few minutes later in the testimony, Engoron asked Kise to "control" the former president.

"Mr. Kise, can you control your client, this is not a political rally, this is a courtroom. I don't want editorializing, we'll be here forever," the judge said, reported Law360's Stewart Bishop.

Newsweek reached out to Trump's campaign for comment via email.

Former federal prosecutor Joyce White Vance responded to Trump's testimony by calling it "astonishing" in a post to X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

"No one else would get away with this and Trump should not be permitted to," she wrote.

Trump's testimony followed that of his two adult sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, who have served as Trump Organization executives and provided their testimony last week. Ivanka Trump, who formerly worked at the company, is set to testify on Wednesday. She was previously dropped from the case due to a statute of limitations.

The weeks-long civil trial has been marked by several tense scenes involving the former president. Engoron has at times scolded Trump over his actions in the courtroom, and placed a gag order on him over his attacks toward his law clerk on social media.