Former President Donald Trump, speaking outside the Manhattan courthouse where his civil fraud trial continues, accused the government, led by New York Attorney General Letitia James, of using "vicious lies" about him in connection with the case.
Further, he told reporters that if he were still president, the attacks on Israel and Ukraine would not have happened.
"The attorney general is sitting inside, spending her whole day, day after day, when people are being murdered on the streets and sidewalks of New York, violent crime," Trump said. "No business is going to move into New York. [They] used a statute on me that's never been used, not once has it ever been used for anything like this ... any company coming to New York would be crazy because it's a setup. It's a rigged trial."
The trial against the Trump Organization is in its third week and centers around allegations that the former president and his company inflated the worth of property and assets to secure more favorable bank loan terms.
Judge Arthur Engoron is presiding over the bench trial, and Trump Wednesday complained that he didn't get a jury or "anything. We have no rights whatsoever," and referred to Engoron as "hostile."
"We have all of the evidence on our side," he said. "They have nothing and it's a case that should have never been brought ... this case is a disgrace to our nation, a disgrace to New York and New York state."
The banks were also "very happy," he said, pointing to testimony, and said he'll return to court Thursday as the trial continues rather than attend a golf tournament at the Trump National Doral Golf Club in Miami.
"I was going to go to it, but I find this very interesting," said Trump, who is not required to be at the trial.
He then turned to the attack on Israel, insisting that if was president, "Israel would not have been attacked," but when asked still said that he may go to Israel, though "I believe in letting them do what they have to do. They have to straighten it out."
Trump also insisted that Ukraine also would not have been attacked had he remained in office.
"You take a look at what's going on throughout the world," he said. "The world right now is a mess. It's a mess and it's a very sad day ... what's happened in Israel is all of those people dead. It would never have happened. Not even a chance. Even the Democrats admit that."
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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