Donald Trump could potentially be inflicting himself with more financial damage by the way he conducts himself in court proceedings with regard to his multiple lawsuits, said his niece Mary Trump on Wednesday.
What Happened: “It looks like Donald is well on his way to having yet another multi-million dollar judgment made against him,” said Mary Trump in a new substack post. Her comments came after the start of the second defamation civil lawsuit brought about by writer E. Jean Carroll.
“It's already been a monumental mess of his own making,” Mary Trump said. “His attorney Alina Habba hurt his defense—perhaps irreparably.”
When Habba sought postponement of the trial on the premise that her client needed to attend his mother-in-law’s funeral, Judge Lewis Kaplan of the New York Southern District Court, shut her down repeatedly, Mary Trump noted.
Later when Habba objected to a verdict by the judge, Kaplan said, “In my courtroom, when a ruling is made, that's the end–not the beginning–of the argument,” she added.
Donald Trump’s lawyer remarked that she did not know how to try the case, Mary Trump, a psychologist said, adding, “Perhaps this is what happens when you hire a lawyer who is on record saying she'd rather be pretty than smart.”
To make matters worse, Donald Trump, on his part, said in a voice audible to the judge that “this is really a con job.” Kaplan shot back and said, “Mr. Trump, I hope I don't have to consider excluding you from the trial,” Mary Trump said.
Later, Michael Madaio, another of Donald Trump’s attorneys, asked Kaplan to recuse himself from the trial, citing the judge’s hostility toward the former president. The judge promptly denied the request, Mary Trump said.
Why It’s Important: Donald Trump is facing the unenviable prospect of paying up about $370 million in damages and also being debarred from conducting business in New York. New York Attorney General Letitia James has brought up a civil fraud case against the former president and the Trump Organization for inflating the value of assets and real estate in a bid to secure bank loans.
Also weighing down on the ex-president are criminal cases over the mishandling of classified documents and two election subversion cases, one brought by the Department of Justice and another in Georgia.
The legal setbacks are playing out even as Donald Trump is plotting his return to office in the Nov. 5, 2024, general election. Opinion polls put him well ahead of fellow Republican primary candidates and he has also held a small lead over President Joe Biden in most polls.
The former president recently won the Iowa caucuses held on Monday and is seen to have a lead over others in the New Hampshire primary elections coming up on Tuesday.
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