“I believe hell froze over”

Donald Trump raised eyebrows by displaying uncommon habits outdoors a New York Metropolis courtroom after testifying in his $250 million civil fraud trial, prompting Mary Trump, the previous president’s estranged niece, to say: “Someone test on… Hell – I believe she froze.” “.

The trial stems from a lawsuit filed final yr by New York Legal professional Common Letitia James, alleging that Trump and senior executives at his household firm, the Trump Group, conspired to extend his internet value by billions of {dollars} on monetary statements supplied to banks and insurance coverage firms. To conclude offers and safe loans.

Trump, the favourite to win the Republican Social gathering’s nomination for the 2024 presidential election, denied any wrongdoing and described the trial as politically motivated.

Eric and Donald Trump Jr., prime executives of the Trump Group, are additionally accused of aiding the previous president and testified on the trial. On Monday, the previous president started testifying, talking concerning the worth of his properties and his position in valuing them.

Within the first hour of testimony, New York State Supreme Courtroom Justice Arthur Engoron repeatedly requested Trump to not make speeches in courtroom and warned his legal professionals to manage him or he could possibly be faraway from the witness stand. The warning got here after Trump attacked the legal professional common’s workplace as a “hater,” dodging questions and repeating issues.

Shortly after Engoron’s remarks, a journalist outdoors the courtroom requested the previous president: “How are issues going over there?” Whereas Trump responded by indicating that he was preserving his mouth shut.

The uncommon habits from Trump, who usually speaks to reporters after courtroom proceedings to reiterate his place whereas claiming that the authorized turmoil he faces is nothing greater than a “witch hunt,” prompted Mary Trump, a vocal critic of her uncle, to weigh in.

“That is the primary time Donald has been away from a bunch of cameras and microphones in his life. Somebody’s checking hell, I believe it is frozen over,” she wrote on X, beforehand Twitter.

Newsweek I reached out to Trump through electronic mail for touch upon Monday.

The courtroom imposed a restricted gag order on Trump on October 3, the second day of the trial, barring him and the opposite defendants from publicly discussing members of Group Engoron. The order was prompted by an insulting put up on Trump’s Fact Social account.

Engoron additionally issued a gag order on Friday, prohibiting all attorneys engaged on the trial “from making any public statements, in or out of courtroom, that counsel any confidential communications, in any means, between me and my workers.”

The order was issued after a long-running conflict between Trump and Engoron’s legal professionals escalated on the identical day after they engaged in an almost 30-minute debate over the choose’s lead legislation clerk, who has been a goal of the previous president for the reason that starting of the trial. trial.