NEW YORK (AP) — Months before Donald Trump’s defiant turn as a witness at his New York civil fraud trial, the former president came face-to-face with the state attorney general who is suing him when he sat for a deposition last year at her Manhattan office.
In the video released on Friday of the seven-hour closed-door referendum last April, the attitude of the favorite for the Republican presidency goes from calm and composure to indignation; at one point, he called Attorney General Letitia James’ trial against him a “disgrace” and a “terrible thing. “”.
Sitting with arms folded, an incredulous Trump complained to the state lawyer questioning him that he was being forced to “justify myself to you” after decades of success building a real estate empire that’s now threatened by the court case.
Trump, who says James’ trial is part of a politically motivated “witch hunt,” has been demonstrative from the start. The video shows him smiling and pouting as the attorney general, a Democrat, stands up and tells him she’s “committed to fair justice. “and judicial process. “
James posted the video on Friday in reaction to media requests under the New York Freedom of Information Act. Trump’s lawyers had already released a transcript of his remarks at trial in August.
James’ lawsuit accuses Trump, his company and its most sensible executives of defrauding banks, insurers and others by inflating their wealth and exaggerating the price of indexed assets in annual financial statements used to secure loans and close deals.
Judge Arthur Engoron, who will hear the case because the jury cannot participate in such trials, said he hoped to have a ruling by the end of January.
Friday’s video is a rare opportunity for the public to see Trump as a witness.
Cameras were not allowed in the courtroom when Trump testified on Nov. 6, or at closing arguments in the case on Jan. 11, where Trump challenged the ruling and delivered a six-minute rant after his lawyers spoke.
Here are the highlights from Trump’s recorded testimony:
‘YOU DON’T HAVE A CASE’
Telling James and his team that they have “no record,” Trump insisted that the banks, he said, were cheated through high valuations, suffered no damage, were paid as part of their transactions and “to date have no complaints. “”
‘Do you know the banks made a lot of money?'” Trump asked, anticipating his testimony later in the trial. “You know I don’t think I’ve ever won even a formal recognition and, even because of COVID, the banks were all paid. And yet, I’m guessing he’s suing on behalf of the banks. That’s crazy. This is all crazy. “
Banks “want to do business with me because I’m rich,” Trump told James. “But you know what, they’re petrified at the thought of doing business because of you. “
Trump lamented that the New York government is “devoting all its time to investigating me, to preventing violent crime on the streets. “
He said his recently jailed former chief financial officer, Allen Weisselberg, was sent “to hell” for evading taxes paid through the company.
At a previous 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 so because he was certain his answers would be used as a basis for criminal charges.
Don’t take me for that
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 rather clever compilation of properties” than a true representation of their value. Some figures, he noted, were “estimates. “
Trump claimed that the statements were primarily for his use, though he admitted that monetary institutions request them. Even then, he insisted that legally it didn’t matter if they were accurate or not, because they came with a disclaimer.
“I have a clause in there that says, ‘Don’t believe the statement. Go out and do your own work,” Trump testified. “You’re supposed to pay no credence to what we say whatsoever.”
WHAT’S IN A NAME? $10 BILLION
Trump estimated his “brand” is worth “maybe $10 billion. “
He called him “the most valuable asset I have” and attributed his political good fortune to the ubiquity of his vocation and personality.
“I became president because of the logo, okay,” Trump said. “I became president. I think it’s the logo of the world. “
“THE MOST IMPORTANT JOB IN THE WORLD”
After Trump was elected, he put the Trump Organization into a trust overseen by his eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., and longtime finance chief, Weisselberg.
Trump claimed he did so not because it was required but because he wanted to be a “legitimate president” and avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest.
What’s more, Trump said, he’s busy solving the world’s problems, such as stopping North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un from launching a nuclear attack.
“I believe this will be the greatest vital work in the world, to save millions of lives,” Trump said. “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 can be a nuclear war now, if you need to know the truth. “
OBSTRUCTED VIEW
In one of his more animated moments, Trump urged his inquisitors to look right out the window for a view of his 40 Wall Street office tower — just across the street from James’ office where he testified.
When asked how construction was going financially, Trump pointed to construction with his thumb and replied, “Good. It’s right here. Would you like to see it?”
“I don’t think we’re allowed to open the windows,” Wallace said.
“Pull back the curtain,” Trump suggested, shaking his head as he waited to be forced.
“No,” Wallace said.
“Open the curtain, go ahead,” Trump said. “It’s right here. I just looked out the window.”
“Can’t you open it?” Defense attorney Clifford Robert, after a moment.
“I wouldn’t,” Wallace said.
‘BEAUTIFUL’ AND ‘INCREDIBLE’
Trump has demonstrated his gift for superlatives, uttering the words “beautiful” and “incredible” 15 times and “phenomenal” six times to describe his properties.
Trump called his golf course in Turnberry, Scotland, “one of the most iconic places in the world,” and the renovated villas at his golf hotel in Doral, near Miami, “the most beautiful rooms ever seen. “
Trump has described his 213-acre estate in Seven Springs in upstate New York as “the highest space in upstate New York. “
His golf courses in Aberdeen, Scotland? “Really incredible.” Jupiter, Florida? “An incredible facility.” Just outside Los Angeles? “An incredible property an unbelievable property … a phenomenal property that fronts on the ocean.”
“I don’t need to sell any of them,” Trump said. But if I ever sold them, if I ever put some of those things up for sale, I’d get staggering numbers. “
He said he could get $1. 5 billion for his Mar-a-Lago farm in Florida and $2. 5 billion for Doral.
Trump has warned he could make “a fortune” from the Saudi-backed LIV golf league for the Turnberry course, the former British Open tournament.
“There would be other people who would do anything to own Doral. There are other people who would do anything to own Turnberry or Mar-a-Lago or. . . Trump Tower or 40 Wall Street. “