Trump Goes Completely Nuts On The Stand At Fraud Trial

Donald Trump took the stand in his fraud trial on Monday, and it went off the rails from the moment he sat down. Trump began by attacking the prosecutor, New York attorney general Letitia James, and then he got scolded during a rant when he began attacking Judge Arthur Engoron. Trump was accused by the judge of attempting to turn his testimony into a "speech," and the trial never quite recovered from that point. Ring of Fire's Farron Cousins explains what happened.

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*This transcript was generated by a third-party transcription software company, so please excuse any typos.

Well, folks, on Monday, the much anticipated day of Donald Trump taking the stand, that is New York Fraud Trial, and oh my God, did it go off the rails Very, very quickly. Donald Trump and his lawyers both got in trouble for basically refusing to answer any questions. Judge Arthur Eron had to not only scold Donald Trump several times on Monday for giving what Eron referred to as speeches instead of just answering questions. But at one point, he also had to yell at Trump lawyer, Alina Haba, to sit down because she got so heated and angry that she stood up and started yelling, which by the way, never a smart move for a lawyer to make. But here's what happened. Donald Trump takes the stand. So he's up there and within just a few moments, starts giving a speech about all the prosecutors, these Democrats coming after him. They're all Democrats.

He said, they're all Trump haters. And inger on immediately had to step in and be like, all right, listen, um, can you just answer these questions? He goes, I don't care if you attack me, Geron says, but at least answer the questions while you're attacking me. So Geron at first appeared to have a bit of a sense of humor, right? Like, Hey, attack me all you want, but please just answer. The questions started off simply enough. And then of course, things went further off the rails because this happened. Um, Trump was still giving speeches, was being uncontrollable, and Eron had to tell Donald Trump's lawyers quote, I beseech you to control him. If you can't, I will, I will excuse him and draw every negative inference, which for the record the judge is allowed to do. It's a bench trial, not a jury trial. It's not a criminal trial.

So the judge is allowed to infer things, even if Trump does not outright say them, or if the prosecution does not quite prove them. The judge has that ability, and that's what he's telling Trump's lawyers there. He's like, listen, if you can't get this guy under control, we're just not gonna listen to him, and I promise you it's gonna end up very badly for you. At that point, Alina Haba decided to speak up and she said, the burden is on the ag to ask better questions. We're not here to hear what he has to say. We're here to listen to him. Answer questions. Inger on kept going. Haba got a little more heated. She stood up and she said, uh, um, yes, you are here to listen to what he has to say. And gerron shouted, sit down again. Not exactly what you want to hear happening

To your lawyer while you are on the stand. And for the record, Alina, no, they actually were there to hear what Donald Trump had to say about the charges that he is facing. You know, civil, not criminal, of course, but that's pretty much how the entire day went. And if, and if you think it actually went well for Donald Trump, consider this fact when they adjourned for lunch, that is usually the time that Donald Trump goes out there in front of the courtroom, talks to the gaggle of reporters that are gathered around every day he's done it. He has had something to say, he's had somebody to attack. But yesterday, after a grueling morning on the stand, this is what happened. Take a look. Speechless. Made the little motion to, you know, zip his lips. Donald Trump had nothing to say to reporters, not one word. He wouldn't say a thing to them about all of the horrible things that just happened to him in that courtroom.