Indignant Donald Trump pouts and rips civil fraud lawsuit in newly released deposition video
NEW YORK — Months before Donald Trump’s defiant turn as a witness at his civil fraud trial in New York, the former president came face to face with the attorney general who indicted him when he deposed at her Manhattan office last year.
The video made public Friday of the seven-hour closed-door hearing last April shows the Republican presidential candidate’s demeanor shifting from calm and cool to indignant — at one point discussing Attorney General Letitia James’ lawsuit against him dismissed as a “disgrace” and “a terrible thing”. thing.”
Sitting with his arms folded, an incredulous Trump complained to the state’s attorney, questioning him about being forced to “justify myself to you” after decades of success building a real estate empire now threatened by the lawsuit.
Trump, who claims James’ lawsuit is part of a politically motivated “witch hunt,” was demonstrative from the start. In the video, he can be seen grinning and pouting as the attorney general, a Democrat, introduced herself and told him she was “committed to a fair and impartial legal process.”
James’ office released the video Friday in response to requests from media outlets under New York’s Freedom of Information Law. Trump’s lawyers placed a transcript of his remarks on the trial docket earlier in August.
James’ lawsuit accuses Trump, his company and top executives of defrauding banks, insurers and others by inflating his wealth and exaggerating the value of assets on financial statements used to secure loans and close deals.
Judge Arthur Engoron, who will decide the case because a jury is not allowed in these types of trials, has said he hopes to rule by the end of January.
Friday’s video is a rare opportunity for the general public to see Trump as a witness.
Cameras were not allowed in the courtroom when Trump testified on November 6, nor for closing arguments in the case on January 11, where Trump challenged the judge and went on a six-minute tirade after his lawyers spoke.
Here are highlights of Trump’s videotaped statement:
Telling James and her staff, “You have no case,” Trump insisted that the banks she claims were besieged by inflated valuations were not harmed, were paid in his deals, and “to this day have no complaints today.’
“Did you know the banks made a lot of money?” Trump asked, looking ahead to his later testimony at the trial. “You know, I don’t think I ever even got a notice of default and even during COVID the banks all got paid. And yet you’re suing on behalf of the banks, I assume. It’s crazy. The whole thing is insane.”
Banks “want to do business with me because I’m rich,” Trump told James. “But you know what, they’re terrified of doing business because of you.”
Trump complained that New York authorities are “spending all their time investigating me instead of stopping violent crime on the streets.”
He said they sent his recently jailed ex-finance chief Allen Weisselberg “through hell and back” for evading taxes on company-paid perks.
At an earlier deposition in the case, in August 2022, Trump invoked his Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination and refused to answer questions more than 400 times. He said he did this because he was confident his answers would be used as the basis for criminal charges.
Trump said he never felt his financial statements would be “taken very seriously,” and that people who did business with him were given ample warning not to trust them.
Trump described the statements as “a pretty good compilation of properties” rather than a true representation of their value. Some of the figures, he noted, were “guesses.”
Trump claimed the statements were mainly for his own use, although he admitted that financial institutions sometimes requested them. Even then, he insisted that it didn’t matter legally whether they were accurate or not because there was a disclaimer.
“I have a clause in there that says, ‘Do not believe the statement. Go out and do your own work,” Trump testified. “You shouldn’t give any credibility to what we say.”
Trump estimated that his “brand” alone is worth “maybe $10 billion.”
He called it “the most valuable asset I have” and attributed his political success to the ubiquity of his name and personality.
“I became president because of the brand, okay,” Trump said. “I became president. I think it’s the most popular brand in the world.”
After Trump was elected, he placed the Trump Organization in a trust overseen by his eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., and former Treasury chief Weisselberg.
Trump claimed he did this not because it was necessary, but because he wanted to be a “legitimate president” and avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest.
Moreover, Trump said, he was busy solving the world’s problems — such as preventing North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un from launching a nuclear attack.
“I considered this the most important job in the world, saving millions of lives,” Trump testified. “I think there would be a nuclear holocaust if I didn’t deal with North Korea. I think there would be a nuclear war if I wasn’t elected. And I think there might be a nuclear war now, if you want to know the truth.”
In one of his more animated moments, Trump urged his inquisitors to look straight out the window at his office tower at 40 Wall Street — across the street from James’ office where he was testifying.
When asked about the financial status of the building, Trump gestured with his thumb at the building and replied: ‘Good. It’s here. Would you like to see it?”
“I don’t think we’re allowed to open the windows,” Wallace said.
“Open the curtain,” Trump suggested, bobbing his head back and forth, waiting for someone to comply.
“No,” Wallace said.
“Pull the curtain, go ahead,” Trump said. “It’s here. I was just looking out the window.”
“Can’t open it?” attorney Clifford Robert asked after a while.
“I wouldn’t do that,” Wallace said.
Trump showed his talent for superlatives, saying the words “beautiful” and “incredible” 15 times and “phenomenal” six times when describing his attributes.
Trump called his golf course in Turnberry, Scotland, “one of the most iconic places in the world,” and the renovated villas at his Doral golf resort near Miami “the most beautiful rooms you have ever seen.”
Trump described his 213-acre estate in Seven Springs north of New York City as “the largest house in New York State.”
Are golf courses in Aberdeen, Scotland? “Really incredible.” Jupiter, Florida? “An incredible facility.” Just outside Los Angeles? “An incredible property… an incredible property… a phenomenal oceanfront property.”
“I don’t want to sell any of them,” Trump testified. “But if I ever sold them – if I ever put some of these things up for sale – I would get staggering numbers.”
He said he could get $1.5 billion for his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida and perhaps $2.5 billion for Doral.
Trump suggested he could get “a fortune” from the Saudi-backed LIV golf league for the Turnberry course, a former British Open venue.
“There would be people who would do anything to own Doral. There are people who would do anything to own Turnberry or Mar-a-Lago or… Trump Tower or 40 Wall Street.”
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