The last day of the Trump NY State fraud trial is in the rearview mirror. But, not without a courtroom outburst that is so on brand for Trump it will be memorialized as the Trump Closing.
A Trump Closing is when you ignore the judge’s instructions, complain unmercifully about your nonexistent rights, and then wrap it up by insulting the judge, the court, the prosecutor, the city you are in, and generally everyone who is not you.
During this trial’s Trump Closing, Trump’s attorney, Chris Kise, requested that Judge Arthur Engoron allow Trump to speak on his own behalf. The judge agreed, under the condition that Trump would adhere to discussing facts and relevant law. However, Trump immediately interrupted the judge and started his Trump Closing, launching into a vicious tirade that is the hallmark of the Trump Closing, wrapping it all up by accusing Letitia James of conducting a “political witch hunt.”
In typical Trump fashion, as one does when employing the Trump Closing, his remarks included an admission regarding a key point in the lawsuit, which alleges that Trump’s personal penthouse was valued at three times its actual size.
Trump described the discrepancy as an “honest mistake,” a statement that legal analysts believe could be detrimental to his defense. NBC News legal analyst Lisa Rubin suggested that the Attorney General’s office might have “struck gold” due to the damaging nature of Trump’s explanation about the triplex square footage error.
Former New York prosecutor Charles Coleman Jr. weighed in on the situation, stating that Trump may have inadvertently harmed his own case with his outburst. Coleman says Trump might have been attempting to create grounds for an appeal by challenging the judge’s decision to allow him to speak. However, by employing the Trump Closing, Trump reduced the likelihood of this becoming an appealable issue.
And of course there is more drama, as to be expected. Unfortunately, the day began with heightened security due to a bomb threat against the judge earlier that day. The hearing was delayed 1 minute from its planning starting time.
Nobody has been suspected or arrested for the threat, but sources say (people are talking) that a person of interest matching this unrecognizable image is sought for questioning.
Judge Engoron is expected to issue a ruling on the case by January 31.
