Amidst mounting pressure from the New York Attorney General's $250 million fraud lawsuit, former President Donald Trump took to Truth Social to vehemently express his frustrations against the legal proceedings and the judge overseeing the case.
The former president aimed his criticism at Judge Arthur Engoron ahead of testimonies from his children - Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump, and Ivanka Trump. In an impassioned post, he implored, "Leave my children alone, Engoron," adding, "You are a disgrace to the legal profession."
The legal battle revolves around accusations by New York Attorney General Letitia James, which suggest that Trump and The Trump Organization, the family's real estate business, inflated the value of his assets and properties in financial statements. The alleged motive behind this inflation was to gain benefits such as favorable bank loans and tax breaks. While both Eric and Donald Trump Jr., who are senior executives at The Trump Organization, are directly implicated, Ivanka Trump, although dismissed from the lawsuit in June due to statute limitations, has been ordered to testify as a witness.
Central to the case is former Trump attorney, Michael Cohen. His testimony has been leveraged by both sides, with Trump emphasizing that Cohen had admitted to lying about the former president's involvement in inflating financial statements. Trump's post reiterated, "SleazeBag Lawyer Michael Cohen, admitted last week on the stand that he LIED, and also that your favorite President, Donald J. Trump, or anyone from the Trump Organization, NEVER TOLD HIM TO INFLATE VALUES ON FINANCIAL STATEMENTS."
Furthermore, Trump contested valuations of his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, suggesting it's worth far more than the $18 million assessed based on its use as a social club.
However, what caught the internet's attention was not just the former president's fervent claims of innocence but the timing of his posts. Recent late-night and early-morning posts have led to speculations on Trump's sleeping patterns. A 2:28 AM post was quickly highlighted on social platforms, with one user noting, "Trump doesn't sleep... like at all."
This week, the courtroom will hear testimonies from Trump's progeny: Donald Trump Jr. is slated for Wednesday, November 1, Eric Trump on Thursday, and Ivanka Trump, initially scheduled for Friday, will now appear on November 8.
Judge Engoron, no stranger to Trump's criticisms, has previously fined the former president for violating gag orders related to the trial. However, the focus of the court remains on evaluating the six outstanding allegations in James' lawsuit and determining potential penalties, which could range from banning Trump from conducting business in New York to hefty fines running into hundreds of millions.
Presently, with 91 criminal charges spread across four separate indictments in D.C., New York, Georgia, and Florida, if convicted on all counts, Trump could face a cumulative sentence surpassing 300 years.
