Former President Donald Trump was met with still more protests on Thursday when he arrived for a deposition in New York City in connection to the sweeping civil lawsuit filed against him and his family business by New York state Attorney General Letitia James.
That case is the dispute over allegedly falsified valuations claimed for many assets across the company. The deceptive claims of value would have been positioned to provide Trump and his business with financial benefits like better terms on loans and tax breaks, and James is seeking $250 million in financial penalties — an amount pinned to what was allegedly raked in thanks to the deception. Trial is now set for later this year, and Trump’s latest appearance for questioning came after still more failures in all efforts to stop the case. A previous round of questioning involving the former president took place when James’s case was still in the investigative stage, meaning before she filed the lawsuit itself.
The protesters who assembled in New York City to greet the motorcade carrying Trump on Thursday chanted “New York hates you!” as he rode past. A large banner was also visible that proclaimed: “No one is above the law.” The crowds seemed smaller than those that showed up for his recent arraignment in a criminal case now unfolding in New York City, but they were still emphatic. There was at least one supporter of the former president also present on Thursday, considering the “Trump or death” flag visible in footage — a flag that had also appeared among the supporters of the former president who convened outside the building where his arraignment recently took place.
Local Democratic officials including Rep. Jamaal Bowman and New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams — whose position James formerly occupied — joined the older protests against Trump connected to his arraignment.
The two helped blow whistles to drown out Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), who despite widely touting her plans to show up in the city that day to support Trump quickly left after a barely audible and very short speech hitting familiar points for the far-right. Trump has sought a show of support from his backers following his indictment in the criminal case, but there really hasn’t been much, especially in heavily Democratic New York City.
Trump motorcade arriving at AG’s office to chants of “New York hates you.” pic.twitter.com/CjKtJZlrY0
— Shayna Jacobs (@shaynajacobs) April 13, 2023
