Everyone was taken aback by Trump’s abrupt departure from a Manhattan courthouse, including his Secret Service escort. He had just had a heated conversation with Judge Arthur Engoron, who is in charge of a trial involving claims of civil fraud in a case brought by Attorney General Letitia James.
On Wednesday afternoon, when Engoron called Trump “not credible” and levied another punishment for allegedly violating a gag order, Trump’s rage finally got the better of him. He is forbidden by this injunction from criticizing Engoron’s court employees.
Under his breath, Trump said, “Unbelievable,” raised his arms, and then ran out of the courtroom. Away from it, he informed reporters, “The witness just admitted that we won the trial, and the judge should end this trial immediately.”
Michael Cohen, a former Trump fixer and lawyer, gave a testimony against his former employer. During a pause in the trial, President Trump made a daring declaration in which he publicly called Judge Engoron “a very partisan judge.”
“This judge is a very partisan judge with a person who’s very partisan sitting alongside of him,” Trump said. “Even much more partisan than he is.”
On October 3, Engoron issued the gag order, claiming that Trump had shared material on Truth Social that Engoron considered “disparaging, untrue and personally-identifying” About Allison Greenfield, a law clerk.
As Trump turned to return to the courtroom following his tirade against Cohen, the prosecution, and the fraud trial itself, a reporter questioned him: “President Trump, did you violate the gag order just now?”
In a dramatic point in the hearing, Engoron called Trump to the witness stand. As Engoron questioned Trump about someone he named in the corridor, curiosity grew. Trump insisted it was Cohen, but Engoron rejected his response and handed down an unexpected $10,000 punishment.
“Did you say, ‘This judge is a very partisan judge with a person who is very partisan sitting alongside of him’?” Trump was questioned by Engoron, the New York Post reports.
REVEALED: The 3 reasons you should NEVER use Vegetable Oils…
Trump acknowledges making the remark and makes it clear that it has to do with Cohen’s testimony.
“You sure you didn’t mean the person on the other side, my principal law clerk?” the judge pressed.
“Yes,” Trump replied, “I’m sure.”
Trump said, Greenfield was “maybe unfair.”
“I think she’s very biased against us,” Trump noted further.
“I find the witness is not credible,” Declared before fining Trump, Engoron.
WATCH:
Judge Engoron abruptly denied the defense’s request for a directed verdict, setting off a dramatic chain of events that left Trump incensed. His Secret Service protection was thrown into disarray as he rushed out of the courthouse, leaving onlookers stunned. This dramatic scene has captured the interest of bystanders and garnered media coverage.
“In fact, former President Trump just stormed out of the courtroom. To everyone’s surprise, some gasps and the court has Secret Service agents chasing him. The motorcade lining up for him right now after taking the stand,” presenter Katy Tur was informed by journalist Dasha Burns.
She continued, according to Mediaite:
After then, Michael Cohen was subjected to more cross-examination. Trump’s lawyer once requested a direct verdict from the judge due to, quote, “The state’s key witness has just testified the defendant did not inflate his numbers,” In essence, they’re pleading with the court to end the trial and case there. At that point, the former president got to his feet and rushed out of the courtroom in an angry manner when the judge dismissed his request.
Cohen asserted from the witness stand that Trump “speaks like a mob boss” after the former president had left the courtroom.
“He tells you what he wants without specifically telling you,” Cohen told the court. “We understood what he wanted.”
“He said, ‘I lied,’ numerous times,” Trump informed media about Cohen’s evidence. “And then he said, as per the best television show you’ll ever imagine, he said, me, ‘I did not ask him to manipulate figures.’’”
“That should be the end of the case,” he added.
