McDonald’s order is carried into Manhattan court during Donald Trump’s $250 million fraud trial
Donald Trump’s lawsuit over claims that he inflated the value of his real estate by $2.2 billion doesn’t seem to have dampened anyone’s appetite.
A large McDonald’s order was dragged into court in Manhattan during the lunch break in Trump’s $250 million civil fraud trial on Monday.
Staff in dark suits were seen carrying the brown paper bags into the Center Street complex after the former president listened to prosecutors accuse him of decades of “lies” about his business empire.
It is not clear who ordered the amount of fast food, but Trump is known to enjoy the occasional meal from the Golden Arches.
His favorite meal is a Big Mac, Filet-O-Fish, fries and a vanilla shake.
A large McDonald’s order was hauled into court in Manhattan on Monday during the lunch break in Trump’s $250 million civil fraud trial
Suited staff were spotted carrying the brown paper bags into the Center Street complex after the former president listened to prosecutors accuse him of decades of ‘lies’ about his business empire
Earlier this year, he told workers he knew the menu better than they did during a visit to a McDonald’s in East Palestine, Ohio.
He then gave hamburgers to community members devastated by a toxic train derailment.
One of his most famous events at the White House was when he ordered the National Championship-winning Clemson University football team to his favorite fast food restaurant.
The court food order followed a dramatic morning session in which Trump’s lawyers said he was actually worth more than the amounts prosecutors allege were fraudulent.
Trump’s team also said Mar-a-Lago — which prosecutors said should be worth only $18 million — is actually worth more than $1 billion.
In a combative defense opening statement, Trump attorney Alina Habba said, “There is someone who will buy that (Mar-A-Lago) for over $1 billion. That’s not fraud, that’s real estate.’
Earlier, Trump, 77, looked angry and shook his head as prosecutors accused him of “lying year after year” to exaggerate the value of his real estate empire by $2.2 billion to obtain favorable bank loans.
Trump railed against the “rogue judge” on Monday before the start of his civil fraud trial in New York, calling the prosecutor an “attempt to hurt me in an election.” During the first hearing, he is seen behind the defense table
Trump is in court with his legal team as the proceedings are underway
In extraordinary scenes at the New York Supreme Court, Justice Arthur Engoron grinned for TV cameras as Trump looked on sternly and at one point muttered under his breath.
Habba told the court that the amount prosecutors said was fraudulent was “frankly less than what they (the Trump family) are worth.”
She said the true value of Trump’s net worth would include his personal brand from shows like The Apprentice.
“There are a lot of people in this room who probably don’t like that, but it’s a fact,” she said.
Habba claimed that Trump’s Doral golf course in Florida was also worth more than $1 billion, prompting laughter in the public gallery.
She said it was “one of the best golf courses in the country” and praised the Trump Organization as a “wonderful company.” She added: “Real estate is malleable, but there was absolutely no intent to defraud, no conspiracy.”
The case set a “very dangerous precedent for all business owners in New York State,” she said.
Just before entering the courtroom, a combative Trump delivered an explosive tirade in which he railed against the “rogue” judge and “racist horror show” Attorney General Letitia James, who brought the case.
Trump could face fines of up to $250 million and the potential loss of his permits for buildings including Trump Tower in New York.
“This is a continuation of the greatest witch hunt of all time,” Trump said before heading to court. ‘It’s a scam. It’s a sham. There was no crime. The crime is against me.’
Trump is accused of inflating the value of his assets by billions of dollars to secure loans from banks.
He claims the case is part of an effort by Democrats to use the legal system to torpedo his campaign for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.
Trump sat in the courtroom with his lawyers Clifford Robert, Alina Habba and Christopher Kise.
Prosecutor Kevin Wallace, a lawyer in James’ office, told the court that Trump had described his finances to banks and insurers in a “materially inaccurate manner” for a decade.
Wallace said Trump did this to get better loan terms and lower insurance premiums, illegally generating more than $1 billion in financial benefits.
“This is not business as usual, and this is not how sophisticated parties interact,” Wallace said. “These are not victimless crimes. The suspects have lied year after year.”
Wallace showed the court video clips of statements from Trump, his son Eric and Michael Cohen, Trump’s former lawyer, among others.
Cohen suggested that Trump wanted to be “higher on the Forbes list.”
He said: “The goal was to use each of (Trump’s) assets and increase their value to get to the end result.
“It was essentially a boost for each of the asset classes to get to the number that President Trump wanted.”
Images were shown on video screens showing the values Trump had placed on his properties and where prosecutors valued them.