Former President Donald Trump slammed the judge presiding over his civil business fraud trial during closing arguments on Thursday, even after the judge refused to allow the 45th president to deliver any remarks.
Judge Arthur Engoron informed one of Trump’s attorneys that Trump will not be speaking in court because he has not heard from Trump’s team “by the third extended deadline (noon today), I assume that Mr. Trump will not agree to the reasonable, lawful limits that I have imposed as a precondition to giving a closing statement above and beyond those given by his attorneys, and that, therefore, he will not be speaking in court tomorrow.”
The Associated Press reports that Trump nevertheless spoke out during closing arguments, delivering a six-minute speech in which he attacked Engoron and New York Attorney General Letitia James. After attorney Christopher Kise asked the judge again whether Trump could speak, Trump allegedly slammed the court. Just as Trump was about to start speaking, Engoron asked if they would follow the detailed rules that Trump had earlier proposed.
