Donald Trump’s fraud trial is about to start – but he argues his rivals are ‘out to get him’
Donald Trump has hinted that he will make a surprise appearance on the first day of his trial for “astounding” fraud which begins in New York today.
The former president, who is the favourite to be the Republican presidential candidate next year, is the central defendant in the civil trial which begins today at a courtroom in southern Manhattan.
Trump, along with several members of his family and other associates, is accused of inflating the value of the Trump property empire by billions of dollars to secure loans in a case brought by New York’s attorney general, Letitia James.
On Tuesday last week, a remarkable pre-trial ruling by Judge Arthur Engoron, set in motion the prospect of Trump losing his New York business licence which could force him to sell all his New York property including the iconic Trump Tower on 5th Avenue.
Trump had been expected not to attend this trial unless forced to testify.
However, court documents in a separate lawsuit, published late last week, hint at a potential courtroom showdown with Judge Engoron who he has branded ‘deranged’.
Trump had been due in court in Florida in a case he brought to sue his former attorney, Michael Cohen. However he has sought to delay that case in order to appear in person at the New York trial instead.
“Through counsel, plaintiff [Trump] represented that he would be attending his New York trial in person – at least for each day of the first week of trial.” the court papers in the Florida lawsuit said.
Last night, with trademark Trumpian double-speak, the former president said: “According to news reports, I will be attending the civil trial in New York tomorrow where an anti-Trump judge is attempting to bring down the Trump Organisation and financially break me.”
The news reports had been based on his own indication to attend the New York trial.
Trump could be about to lose Trump Tower. Pic: AP
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His potential appearance could trigger a long string of trials
If he does appear, the case will mark the beginning of a long string of unprecedented civil and criminal trials against the 45th President of the United States in New York, Georgia and Florida.
Referring to today’s fraud trial, Trump said last night: “An anti-Trump judge is attempting to bring down the Trump Organisation and financially break me.”
In a statement emailed to his supporters nationwide, he said: “Democrats are seeking to bring down the world-famous ‘Trump Tower’ and impose what some are calling “the corporate death penalty” upon me. This will be the FIRST TRIAL in the Democrats’ string of witch hunts designed to destroy our 2024 presidential campaign.”
The case was brought by New York’s attorney general after Trump’s former attorney, Michael Cohen revealed what he claimed to show mass fraud by Mr Trump.
It is alleged that the Trump Organisation routinely inflated the value of the former president’s assets to the tune of billions of dollars and the size of his properties in order to obtain better terms from banks and insurers.
In one example alleged by the attorney general, it is claimed that Trump’s triplex penthouse apartment in Trump Tower was 30,000 square feet when in fact it is one third of that size.
Defending him, his lawyers have said that statements about the value of his assets were never relied on by the banks who had never complained about being misled.
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He could lose his New York property – but Trump says it’s a ‘witch-hunt’
Attorney General James is seeking a $250m (£201.3m) fine and to bar Trump and his sons Donald Trump Jr, and Eric Trump from leading the family business.
The pre-trial ruling already puts Mr Trump’s ability to control his New York properties in immediate jeopardy because he is unable to operate them without a business licence.
His lawyers are likely to seek clarity to this ruling in court this week, perhaps with their client now present too.
Financially and symbolically, this represents a huge moment for Donald Trump. He stands to lose control of a property empire in a city from where he built his fortune and fame.
But politically, it perfectly fits his “witch hunt” narrative; a case brought by a judge and an Attorney General, both stated Democrats, who he says are “out to get him”. It is a narrative which unquestionably resonates with his supporters across the country.
“I have a Deranged, Trump Hating Judge, who RAILROADED this FAKE CASE through a NYS Court at a speed never before seen,” he wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social.
The case is set to last until December.
Donald Trump has said he is considering “taking away” the US citizenship of actress and comedian Rosie O’Donnell, despite a Supreme Court ruling that expressly prohibits a government from doing so.
In a post on Truth Social on Saturday, the US president said: “Because of the fact that Rosie O’Donnell is not in the best interests of our Great Country, I am giving serious consideration to taking away her Citizenship.”
He also labelled O’Donnell, who has moved to Ireland, as a “threat to humanity” and said she should “remain in the wonderful country of Ireland, if they want her”.
O’Donnell responded on Instagram by posting a photograph of Mr Trump with Jeffrey Epstein.
“You are everything that is wrong with America and I’m everything you hate about what’s still right with it,” she wrote in the caption.
“I’m not yours to silence. I never was.”
Rosie O’Donnell moved to Ireland after Donald Trump secured a second term. Pic: AP
O’Donnell moved to Ireland with her 12-year-old son in January after Mr Trump had secured a second term.
She has said she’s in the process of obtaining Irish citizenship based on family lineage and that she would only return to the US “when it is safe for all citizens to have equal rights there in America”.
O’Donnell and the US president have criticised each other publicly for years, in an often-bitter back-and-forth that predates Mr Trump’s move into politics.
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This is just the latest threat by the president to revoke the citizenship of someone he has disagreed with, most recently his former ally Elon Musk.
But the two situations are different as while Musk was born in South Africa, O’Donnell was born in the US and has a constitutional right to American citizenship.
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Amanda Frost, a law professor at the University of Virginia School of Law, said the Supreme Court ruled in a 1967 case that the fourteenth amendment of the constitution prevents the government from taking away citizenship.
“The president has no authority to take away the citizenship of a native-born US citizen,” he added.
“In short, we are nation founded on the principle that the people choose the government; the government cannot choose the people.”
A farmer who fell from a greenhouse roof during an anti-immigrant raid at a licensed cannabis facility in California this week has died of his injuries.
Jaime Alanis, 57, is the first person to die as a result of Donald Trump’s Immigration Compliance and Enforcement (ICE) raids.
His niece, Yesenia Duran, posted on the fundraising site GoFundMe to say her uncle was his family’s only provider and he had been sending his earnings back to his wife and daughter in Mexico.
The United Food Workers said Mr Alanis had worked on the farm for 10 years.
“These violent and cruel federal actions terrorise American communities, disrupt the American food supply chain, threaten lives and separate families,” the union said in a recent statement on X.
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The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said it executed criminal search warrants at Glass House Farms facilities on Thursday.
Mr Alanis called family to say he was hiding and possibly fleeing agents before he fell around 30ft (9m) from the roof and broke his neck, according to information from family, hospital and government sources.
Agents arrested 200 people suspected of being in the country illegally and identified at least 10 immigrant children on the sites, the DHS said in a statement.
Mr Alanis was not among them, the agency said.
“This man was not in and has not been in CBP (Customs and Border Protection) or ICE custody,” DHS assistant secretary for public affairs Tricia McLaughlin said.
“Although he was not being pursued by law enforcement, this individual climbed up to the roof of a greenhouse and fell 30ft. CBP immediately called a medivac to the scene to get him care as quickly as possible.”
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Four US citizens were arrested during the incident for allegedly “assaulting or resisting officers”, the DHS said, and authorities were offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of a person suspected of firing a gun at federal agents.
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In a statement, Glass House, a licensed Cannabis grower, said immigration agents had valid warrants. It said workers were detained and it is helping provide them with legal representation.
“Glass House has never knowingly violated applicable hiring practices and does not and has never employed minors,” it added.
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