Former President Donald Trump insisted Tuesday that he "wanted to testify" in his civil fraud trial in New York on Monday, but said he couldn't because of the limited gag order from Judge Arthur Engoron.
"I wanted to testify on Monday, despite the fact that I already testified successfully, answering all questions having to do with the Fake, No Victims, No Jury lawsuit, thrown at me by the Corrupt Racist A.G., Letitia James, and presided over by a Trump hating judge who suffers from a massive case of Trump Derangement Syndrome, and is a puppet for the CROOKED A.G.," Trump wrote on his Truth Social page.
Trump added that Engoron "put a GAG ORDER on me, even when I testify, totally taking away my constitutional right to defend myself," and said his side is appealing. "How would you like to be a witness and not be allowed free and honest speech. THE TRIAL IS RIGGED. I DID NOTHING WRONG!!!"
Trump on Sunday said he wouldn't testify, saying that the evidence in his case is strong.
In a statement to ABC News on Monday, Trump attorney Chris Kise said he also partially blamed the limited gag order for Trump's decision against taking the stand.
"There is really nothing more to say to a Judge who has imposed an unconstitutional gag order and thus far appears to have ignored President Trump's testimony and that of everyone else involved in the complex financial transactions at issue in the case," Kise said.
Meanwhile, Engoron said Tuesday that he will allow James to call two witnesses during the state's rebuttal after the Trump team rests its case, and Kise argued that the "government has held these witnesses back. "
State Attorney Kevin Wallace said the rebuttal witnesses — former Trump Organization executive Kevin Sneddon and Cornell professor Eric Lewis — will only discuss arguments made in court, but Kise said they'll be "filling a hole" left by the defense team's lack of evidence.
Engoron, though, said he saw "no reason not to allow these two purported experts to testify."
Trump attorneys said they may present an additional witness after the state's rebuttal.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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