Donald Trump was under no obligation to appear in court Monday, but he seized the opportunity to create a media spectacle.
Former President Donald Trump speaks with journalists as the day ends for court proceedings in a civil trial in New York on Monday, Oct. 2, 2023. The fraud lawsuit could cost him control of Trump Tower and other prized properties.
Trump was under no obligation to appear Monday and did not address the court. But he nonetheless seized the opportunity to create a media spectacle that ensured he was back in the spotlight. And he once again portrayed himself as a victim of a politicized justice system — a posture that has helped him emerge as the undisputed leader of the 2024 GOP primary.
He addressed the media assembled outside the courtroom multiple times throughout the day, railing against the case and offering commentary. “Every day is a day on the stump, whether it’s in Iowa, New Hampshire or in the courtroom,” he said, adding, “Every appearance is an opportunity to ring a bell, strike a message, say he’s the victim of a weaponized Justice Department and he’s the only one who can change Washington.”The civil fraud case, brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James, accuses Trump and his company of deceiving banks, insurers and others by chronically overstating his wealth by as much as $3.6 billion.
The former president grew visibly angry during the morning’s opening statements, railing against the suggestion that he was worth less than he claimed and blasting both the judge and James. Trump sneered at the state attorney general as he walked past her on his way out of the courtroom during a lunch break, cocking his head toward her and glaring.
His trial in Georgia over his efforts to subvert the results of the state’s 2020 election hasn’t yet been scheduled.
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