Trump arrives at New York court to take the stand in fraud trial

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Donald Trump was warned to control himself on the stand as he slammed prosecutors and Democrats as ‘haters’ and claimed the judge always rules ‘against’ him in a fiery start to his testimony in the $250million New York fraud trial.

Judge Arthur Engoron admonished the former president for not answering questions from prosecutor Kevin Wallace as tensions flared almost immediately after he was sworn in as a witness on Monday morning.

‘You can attack me all you want, but just answer the question,’ Engoran said after Trump railed against the ‘crazy’ trial and claimed bankers paid little attention to financial documents at the heart of the case against him.

Engoron, who Trump has called a ‘wacko’, then said ‘this is not a political rally’ and told his legal team to ‘have a talk with him’ to stop the outbursts.

The former president was called to testify in the Manhattan courtroom moments after he slammed the ‘political warfare’ against him that only takes place ‘in banana republics’.

Then sparks started to fly as the 77-year-old lashed out at Engoron for ‘always ruling against me’. He added that attorneys had been ‘coming at me from 15 different sides, all Democrats, all Trump-haters’

The confrontation began as Trump was responding to questions about his historical financial statements. During one answer, the former president triggered a snigger from the press gallery as he branded the current proceedings a ‘crazy trial’.

Donald Trump has arrived at New York’s State Supreme Court to give blockbuster testimony in the $ 250 million fraud lawsuit that could sink his business empire in the Big Apple

The former president sits alongside his lawyers Christopher Kise (left) and Alina Habba (right). He was called as witness straight away and was sworn in after slamming the ‘political warfare’ against him that only takes place ‘in banana republics’

He then distanced himself from the financial statements in 2017 that are at the heart of the case, claiming he didn’t know about them and the banks didn’t care.

Before entering the court, Trump said he had been put in a ‘very unfair situation’ in the trial and discussed the New York Times poll showing him beating Joe Biden in five key swing states.

He also insisted Mar-a-Lago is worth ’50 to 100 times’ the $18million value prosecutors have determined, and claimed he is being targeted by people who ‘hate this country’.

Trump is accused of dramatically inflating his net worth and the value of his properties by billions to save millions on bank loans and insurance.

After entering the packed courtroom, New York state lawyer Wallace said: ‘The people call Donald J. Trump,’

He walked across the front of the judge’s bench towards the witness stand. Then he was asked to ‘solemnly swear and affirm’ to tell the truth during the testimony and responded: ‘I do.’

Trump then confirmed his name and said he lives in Florida before Wallace’s questioning began.

In what has become a staple of his appearance in the New York courtroom, Trump addressed the press before walking inside.

‘So while Israel is being attacked, while Ukraine is being attacked, while inflation is eating our country alive, I’m down here,’ he said.

‘These are all political opponent attacks ads by the Biden administration, their poll numbers are terrible.

‘The New York Times came back with a poll that I’m leading all over the place, but it’s a very unfair situation.’

Earlier on Monday he said on Truth Social that the case is a way for President Joe Biden to ‘cheat’ in the 2024 presidential election – and took jabs at both Engoron and James for ‘election interference.’

James said ‘the numbers don’t lie’ when speaking about his business just moments before the court appearance began.

She persistently said she would ‘get’ Trump during her campaign to be the state’s attorney general.

‘Donald Trump repeatedly misrepresented and inflated the value of his assets,’ she said on Monday morning.

‘And before he takes the stand, I am certain that he will engage in name-calling and taunts and race-baiting and call this a witch hunt.

‘But at the end of the day, the only thing that matters are the facts and the numbers and numbers my friends don’t lie.’

The 77-year-old said he had been put in a ‘very unfair situation’ in the trial and discussed the New York Times poll showing him beating Joe Biden in five key swing states

Trump opts for a low-key entrance into the court, walking behind a city van into the building in downtown Manhattan

He was spotted carrying a bundle of legal papers as he made his way into a back entrance

The appearance may also mark the beginning of what will likely be a defining feature of the 2024 election if Trump becomes his party’s nominee: a major candidate, on trial, using the witness stand as a campaign platform – or at least attempting to – as he eyes a return to the White House while facing multiple criminal indictments.

Trump’s appearance on Monday comes after his two eldest sons also took the stand last week.

Donald Trump Jr. testified last Wednesday and Eric Trump on Friday. Both are executive vice presidents of the Trump Organization.

Ivanka Trump, the ex-president’s eldest daughter, is slated to take the stand on Wednesday.

Trump has repeatedly blasted Judge Engoron by calling him a ‘wacko’ and a ‘Democratic operative’.

Also on his social media platform, Trump again claimed that Attorney General James is engaging in ‘ELECTION INTERFERENCE!’ along with a video montage of her railing against the ex-president.

He insists that her actions against him are politically motivated because she doesn’t want him to be president again.

Trump once took the stand – unexpectedly and briefly – after he was accused of violating a partial gag order. Trump denied violating the rules, but Judge Engoron disagreed and fined him anyway.