Trump testifies in New York civil fraud trial

Former President Donald Trump on Monday took the witness stand, testifying that he primarily just ordered others to give accountants what they needed for financial statements. Trump also said the reports contained disclaimers telling banks to evaluate the assets independently. He added the statements underestimated the actual value of assets such as his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida and his New York apartment.

How did the courtroom receive Trump’s testimony? Judge Arthur Engoron previously ruled that Trump and his business committed fraud by overvaluing his assets on paperwork to make deals and secure other loans. On Monday, Engoron had to tell Trump to answer questions and keep his responses to questions concise. He told Trump’s attorneys, “This is not a political rally.” Engoron will be responsible for deciding what consequences, if any, Trump and his organization will face after the trial.

Dig deeper: Listen to Clara York’s report on The World and Everything in It podcast about some of Trump’s co-defendants in Georgia pleading guilty to trying to overturn the 2020 presidential election results.