Trump to give landmark testimony in New York civil fraud trial: LIVE

Donald Trump has falsely claimed that Sunday night’s “60 Minutes” episode proves Mike Pence could have overturned the 2020 election results.

“60 Minutes? So, if the Vice President didn’t have the power to act (Sending votes back to Legislatures for rechecking and rapid approval, UNLESS THEY FOUND FRAUD, OR SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE VOTE COUNTING!), why did the RINOS & Democrats get together and CHANGE THE LAW so that (A) Vice President in the future wouldn’t do what these people said he couldn’t do? If he couldn’t do it, they would not have changed the law,” he ranted on Truth Social on Sunday.

“Those same people would have told you, but only AFTER the Election, that a V.P. HAD the right to send them back to the States for recertification, and they didn’t like that, so they changed the law, taking away that right. I disagree because if Fraud is found, fix it! 60 Minutes: “Last year, Democrats and Republicans past an Electoral Count Law. It now CLARIFIES a Vice President’s role is to read, not judge, the votes.” The fact that they had to CLARIFY THE LAW means that there was UNCERTAINTY, which means that it was open to INTERPRETATION. It could have been done!”

Mr Trump fuelled the January 6 Capitol riot by falsely claiming that his then vice president could certify the election results in his favour – instead of President Joe Biden who the American people elected.

When Mr Pence refused, his followers chanted “Hang Mike Pence” as they rampaged the US Capitol that day.

The New York State Supreme Court building on Centre Street is a historic landmark dripping with dramatic classical Roman-inspired architecture, with a cavernous circular interior surrounded by the stairwells that wind around it. It was formerly the Tweed Courthouse, named after the corrupt “Boss” Tweed figure of Tammany Hall infamy.

A wide staircase leads to the massive granite columns in the front of the building. Dramatic afternoon light beams into the short hallway in front of heavy wooden doors outside room 300 on the third floor.

Over the last month, the hallway and the courtroom on the other side of it have been filled with members of the press, photographers and video cameras. For five weeks, it has been Donald Trump’s most reliable pulpit.

Until the moment he is called to the witness stand on Monday 6 November, Mr Trump has never been under any obligation to attend the civil trial stemming from a lawsuit from New York Attorney General Letitia James that threatens his family’s vast business and real estate empire.

The Independent’s Alex Woodward reports:

Ahead of his appearance on the stand at his New York civil fraud trial on Monday, Donald Trump reposted several of his past Truth Social posts where he attacked Judge Arthur Engoron and New York Attorney General Letitia James.

“This Rigged Trial, brought by the Racist New York State A.G. Letitia James before Trump and developer Hating Judge, Arthur Engoron, which should have never been brought in that the so-called STAR WITNESS, SleazeBag Lawyer (for many people) 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, the opposite of what he told the A.G. in order to get this HOAX started,” he reTruthed.

“Therefore, on that fact alone, this Fake Case should be dismissed. Additionally, however, the Financial Statements Values are Conservative (LOW!), Mar-a-Lago is worth MUCH MORE than $18,000,000, there is a 100% Disclaimer Clause on the 1st page of the Statements, the Banks and Insurance Companies were paid in full, no defaults, they all made money, and there is no Victim (except me!). Leave my children alone, Engoron. You are a disgrace to the legal profession!”

Donald Trump is headed for New York to give landmark testimony in the civil fraud trial that threatens to topple his business empire.

The former president is expected to take the stand in the case today, days after his adult sons Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr testified last week.

His daughter Ivanka Trump is slated to appear for testimony in court on Wednesday – hours before the third Republican primary debate.

The Independent’s Alex Woodward will be in the courtroom giving you all the latest coverage.

The former president faces criminal charges from DC to Palm Beach and Manhattan to Atlanta. The Independent’s Josh Marcus runs down where each one currently stands.

Melania Trump hasn’t spoken publicly about the case, but the former president has told reporters at the courthouse what he thinks she feels about the trial…

I used to resent one of my co-workers who habitually came in late, left early, even helped themselves to other people’s work. There seemed to be no consequences for them, ever. “They’re getting away with murder!” I would sputter in frustration. I understood this to be just a figure of speech; I never really believed things could escalate to actual mayhem.

I thought of this colleague when, in 2016, Donald Trump boasted on tape that he could shoot someone on Fifth Ave and not lose voters. “Figure of speech!” I thought at the time. But then came the next seven years, and the endless cascade of lies and double-dealing from the 45th President. And yet Trump seemed to be correct in his belief that accountability was for suckers.

Until perhaps, at long last, now.

The main focus on Donald Trump’s myriad of legal woes shifted to Lower Manhattan in October as his civil fraud case came to trial at New York state’s Supreme Court.

New York Attorney General Letitia James brought the case against the Trump Organization and maintains that between 2011 and 2021 the company falsified financial statements regarding the development of several real estate projects and artificially inflated Mr Trump’s net worth in order to get better financing terms from banks and insurance companies.

This was done by over-stating valuations of the former president’s most prestigious holdings including his triplex penthouse at Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan and his current home at the Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida.

As the prosecution’s case draws to a close, three of his adult children are taking the stand to testify under oath, which begs the question: how are they wrapped up in all this and why is their testimony important at the trial?

Mr Christie, who’s waging what’s seen by many as a doomed campaign to take down Mr Trump, faced the audience’s wrath immediately after entering the stage, with the booing continuing throughout his 15-minute speech, according to CBS News.

“Your anger against the truth is reprehensible,” he told the crowd. “The problem is you want to shout down any voice that says anything different than what you want to hear.”

“You can go and boo about it as much as you like, but it doesn’t change the truth and the truth is coming,” he added.

“What a shock, you’re for Trump. I’m going to fall over dead. The problem is you fear the truth,” Mr Christie said.

“I assume that you’re yelling for $33 trillion in debt,” he told the audience. “It must be one of the things you’re for. You’re probably for it. Because you won’t be here to pay for it. But our grandchildren and great-grandchildren will be here to pay for it.”