Last week, as Donald Trump departed from the trial being held in New York on claims against him and others of fraud at the Trump family’s business, New York state Attorney General Letitia James (who brought the case) condemned Trump’s recent behavior, particularly at the courthouse, as a political stunt geared to support his ongoing run for another presidential term.
Trump was present for several days last week as the trial moved forward, and speaking to journalists, he repeatedly belittled James with aggressive language. “You ought to go after this attorney general, because she’s turning off everybody from coming in,” Trump said last week, seemingly referencing with his remark about “everybody” the general category of individuals and businesses who might want to move into New York. In another infamous example, Trump named a clerk for the presiding judge in an angry post on social media in which he accused the individual of being New York Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer’s “girlfriend” — and directed his followers to an Instagram account evidently belonging to them!
Trump was hit with a gag order covering potential commentary about court staff after that incident. It applied to others in the case as well, though he was the main offender.
“Trump’s comments were offensive,” James said. “They were baseless. They were void of any facts and/or any evidence. What they were were comments that unfortunately fomented violence; comments that I would describe as race-baiting; comments, unfortunately, that appeal to the bottom of our humanity. This case was brought simply because it was a case where individuals have engaged in a pattern and practice of fraud. And I will not sit idly by and allow anyone to subvert the law. And lastly, I will not be bullied. So Mr. Trump is no longer here — the Donald Trump show is over. This was nothing more than a political stunt.”
Though the judge already found Trump perpetrated fraud, the accompanying directives for key assets of the Trump Organization to evidently be moved into the control of a receiver — a third party, meaning not the Trumps — have yet to be implemented as the trial moves forward.
