Trump Takes the Stand, Draws Rebukes From Judge

Donald Trump took the stand Monday in his civil fraud trial in New York, and the former president drew exasperated rebukes from the judge in the case in the early going. Some highlights:

• A request: State Supreme Court Judge Arthur Engoron complained that Trump was straying off topic with long, repetitive answers to specific questions. "Mr. Kise, can you control your client?" the judge asked Trump attorney Christopher Kise, per the Washington Post. "This is not a political rally. This is a courtroom." When Kise responded that Trump did not need further instruction because he knew the rules, Engoron responded, "He's not abiding by them." The judge threatened to remove Trump from the stand, warning that doing so would hurt the judgment against him. (The judge already has ruled that the Trump Organization is guilty of fraud, and this trial is mostly about financial penalties.)
• Trump complaint: "This is a very unfair trial," Trump said at one point, as the judge bickered with another Trump attorney, Alina Habba, per Politico. "Very, very. And I hope the public is watching." He made the comment after the judge ordered Habba to sit down, seemingly angry after she told the judge that "you are here to hear what he has to say." The judge yelled back, "No, I am not here to hear what he has to say."

• The financials: As his sons did last week, Trump sought to downplay his direct role in preparing financial statements crucial to the case, per the AP. "All I did was authorize and tell people to give whatever is necessary for the accountants to do the statements," he said. In terms of the results, "I would look at them, I would see them, and maybe on some occasions, I would have some suggestions."
• Attorney general: At another point, during questioning about the evaluation of his Mar-a-Lago property, the former president lashed out at New York Attorney General Letitia James. "This is a political witch hunt and I think she should be ashamed of herself," Trump said, calling the case a "disgrace," per CNN.

(More Donald Trump stories.)