As we speak, the Trump court is recessed for lunch. My bet is that a lot of antacids will be consumed, and with any luck Alina has some Valium she can grind up in her client’s Diet Coke. Here’s the bottom line: today’s performance is precisely that. It is Donald Trump up on the stand giving long-winded political statements. Even the judge got tired of that early on and he called him out on it. “Mr. Kise, can you control your client? This is not a political rally. Maybe you should have a talk with him.” Kise responded, “You’re in control of the courtroom, not me.”
So what’s taking place is not the People Of The State Of New York v. Donald J. Trump, rather it is the Trump performance machine using the courtroom to further the narrative that the attorney general’s case is a political hit job, nothing more. That’s what Alina Habba underscored the minute she could get in front of a microphone.
Habba brays, “They’ve got nothing but their politics.” No, that’s on your side of the issue. The attorney general has mountains of evidence, Trump has only got his pathetic defense of the disclaimer clause and how his brand name alone is worth kazillions. The irony there is that his golf clubs were, in fact, evaluated with the brand included as consideration and he still ended up losing money.
Here’s the all powerful disclaimer clause being discussed.
The judge's pre-trial ruling on the "worthless" clause.
"Thus, the 'worthless clause' does not say what defendants say it says, does not rise to the level of an enforceable disclaimer, and cannot be used to insulate fraud as to facts peculiarly within defendants' knowledge, even… pic.twitter.com/nCsnZszwuc
— Adam Klasfeld (@KlasfeldReports) November 6, 2023
The judge interjects, notes that AG's counsel has been "patient," and instructs Trump to answer only the questions presented to him.
— Adam Klasfeld (@KlasfeldReports) November 6, 2023
Trump is shown his statement of financial condition from June 30, 2011 — and downplays its significance.
Pointing to the disclaimer, Trump said. "We would call it a worthless statement clause."
"They were not really documents that the banks paid much attention to."
— Adam Klasfeld (@KlasfeldReports) November 6, 2023
Asked why he reinstalled himself as trustee before leaving the White House, Trump answered because he would go back to business.
— Adam Klasfeld (@KlasfeldReports) November 6, 2023
“He’s a hardworking boy.” “Young man.” He’s 45 years old now, which would make him middle aged if not more than middle aged by any actuary table.
But you get the flavor of the proceedings. The purpose is to make everything political above trying the merits of the case. And that makes sense, because they have no defense.
Habba was particularly amusing saying that Judge Engoron had decided Trump’s liability. Yes, he had. That’s how it works. The purpose of the trial is to decide damages, only. She knows that. But that level of reality doesn’t play out on Fox News or Newsmax.
The afternoon should be wilder still.
“You’re in charge of the court room, not me”. Are you f*cking kidding me? A) judges tell the attorneys to get their clients under control-is this a professional courtesy or is this a rule, I don’t know but that is what judges typically do. B) when the person on the stand does not LISTEN to their attorney, THEN the judge steps in because quite obviously the attorney is not a professional and/or the rule has been broken. How the attorney was not smacked upside the head with a contempt charge is one hell of a mystery because that attorney WAS contemptuous. What a bunch of bullshit the entitled, orange, moron has been getting away with. This must stop.
Your “… But you get the flavor of the proceedings…” Yup! As you astutely predicted. Hope you’ve still got plenty of soda and popcorn, for the PM matinee session. His buffoonery should pricelessly play out, and not according to any script, but to his grievances, accusations, and rat cunning, opportunistic, blunderbuss, hollow political broadcasts of victimhood. A performance based on rinse, repeat, isn’t it. Go for it Don Don, rinse, repeat, as much as you like, but you don’t need to confirm and cement in history, what is already known. Just pay the ferryman, at the end of your stormy, hapless, leaking boat journey, protesting your hollow accusations and grievances, whilst locked in your tarnished faux gilded birdcage. Well done Don Don, you’ve stepped up to the plate and measured up to what was expected of you. An abject lying failure!