Trump's Fraud Trial Draws to an End With Closing Arguments – The New York Times
Trump Civil Fraud Trial
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The former president unexpectedly spoke in his own defense, directly attacking New York’s attorney general and the judge overseeing the case.
Jonah E. Bromwich, Ben Protess and
Donald J. Trump’s civil fraud trial concluded on Thursday much as it unfolded over the past three months: in chaos, with the former president insulting the judge to his face, lashing out at the New York attorney general who brought the case and declaring himself “an innocent man.”
Inside a packed Manhattan courtroom where each side presented its closing arguments, Mr. Trump delivered surprise remarks in his own defense with the judge staring stone-faced from the bench and the attorney general, Letitia James, sitting just feet away as the defendant accused her of pursuing a political vendetta.
Mr. Trump’s airing of grievances reflected visceral disdain for Ms. James — a Democrat and one of his chief antagonists — but it also amplified a broader strategy of painting himself as the victim of a grand conspiracy. As Mr. Trump mounts another run for the White House while facing the civil trial and four criminal indictments, he has sought to turn the cases on their head, accusing his accusers of the same conduct that landed him in legal jeopardy.
Mr. Trump claimed that the fraud case was, in fact, “a fraud on me.” He also brazenly asserted that Ms. James, who is seeking a $370 million penalty, “should pay me” for what he has gone through.
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