Former President Donald Trump arrived at a New York courthouse for the third week of his $250 million fraud trial, and he did not hold back in criticizing the prosecutors. Trump criticized New York State Attorney General Letitia James, referring to her as a ‘fraud.’ This came a day after a federal judge in Washington, D.C., overseeing another case imposed a gag order on him.
In Washington, U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, who is overseeing his January 6-related case, had imposed a gag order, prohibiting him from attacking Special Counsel Jack Smith, his prosecutors, court officials, or witnesses. Trump expressed his intention to appeal this order.
However, Trump did not adhere to the judge’s directive regarding the D.C. case but refrained from targeting prosecutors. On Tuesday, he sharply criticized Letitia James, who had brought the fraud charges against him in New York. He mentioned her campaign promise to go after him, stating that they have “two tapes on her now” and accused her of ranting like a “lunatic.”
Trump also criticized New York judge Arthur Engoron and James for relying on Palm Beach County assessors for the valuation of Mar-a-Lago, asserting that it could be worth much more than assessed. He labeled them as “fraudulent people” but noted his preference for Judge Engoron, even though he found the proceedings unfair.
He continued to claim that the trial was rigged and criticized the judge for being “very liberal.” Trump’s former longtime lawyer, Michael Cohen, who was expected to testify regarding the inflation of valuations by Trump’s company during financing endeavors, postponed his appearance due to a medical issue.
In addition to the New York trial, Trump was scheduled to give a deposition in a lawsuit filed by “FBI lovers” Peter Strzok and Lisa Page. Strzok, a former lead investigator in the Russia probe, claimed he was fired for exercising his First Amendment rights and alleged pressure from the Department of Justice. Trump was granted a two-hour deposition in this case, which had been moved from Mar-a-Lago to New York to accommodate his legal schedule.
These events unfolded as part of the ongoing legal challenges surrounding the former President, which have brought him to courtrooms on multiple fronts, and resulted in various gag orders and legal battles.