NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Donald Trump's attorney Alina Habba offered a scathing critique of Judge Arthur Engoron during a heated day in a New York court on Monday, November 6. She claimed that her client was being portrayed as guilty before the proceedings even began.
Habba alleged that Judge Engoron had already made up his mind about Trump's involvement in fraud after the judge reportedly declared he was "not here to hear what [Trump] has to say." Habba asked, "Why exactly am I being paid as an attorney, and why exactly are taxpayer dollars being used?"
Alina Habba's verbal clashes and accusations
During a break in the proceedings on Monday, Habba voiced her concerns about the judge's behavior, which she insisted she wouldn't tolerate in other circumstances. She also criticized New York Attorney General Letitia James, accusing her of trying to "make a name for herself" by calling Trump a "liar."
James, on her part, had predicted that Trump would resort to "name-calling, taunts, and race-baiting" during the trial. "At the end of the day, the only thing that matters are the facts and the numbers, and numbers, my friend, don't lie," she said.
In response, Habba pointed out that James' numbers didn't lie when she ran for governor. "And the numbers don’t lie when President Trump runs for office in 2024,” Habba retorted. “Those numbers are loud and clear.”
Habba also didn't hold back in her criticism of Judge Engoron, describing him as "unhinged" and recounting an incident where he was allegedly slamming a table.
“I was told to sit down today. I was yelled at and I’ve had a judge, who is unhinged, slamming a table. Let me be very clear: I don’t tolerate that in my life. I’m not going to tolerate it here,” she said.
The ongoing $250 million civil fraud trial accuses Trump of inflating his net worth and property values to secure loans on favorable terms, a charge he vehemently denies.
"The numbers of my net worth are substantially more than the number you have in the financial statement," the former POTUS said in court. "Therefore, you have no case."
According to Habba, the judge's face was "going red" when Trump took the witness stand. She alleged that Engoron only wanted facts that went along with his narrative.
Tensions in Judge Arthur Ergoron's courtroom
Tensions ran high during the court proceedings, with the judge admonishing Trump's legal team for lengthy answers and speech-like responses to questions. "Please just answer the questions, no speeches," Engoron said at one point, adding, "Some of your answers have not been responsive to the questions."
He warned Trump's lawyer, Christopher Kise, to control his client's responses, or he would intervene and draw negative inferences.
"I beseech you to control him if you can," Engoron said. "If you can't, I will. I will excuse him and draw every negative inference that I can."
The proceedings took a contentious turn when Habba challenged Judge Engoron's decision to interrupt Trump's lengthy testimony about his golf course in Aberdeen, Scotland. Trump reportedly bragged that it “may be the greatest golf course in the world.” Engoron responded by asserting, “I am not here to listen to what he has to say!” and directed Habba to sit down.
However, Habba strongly countered the judge, insisting that he was, in fact, there to listen to her client's testimony and that Trump had the right to provide extensive answers on the stand.
Later in the day, Engoron appeared to regret the exchange and apologized to Habba for his previous outburst, saying, “I’m sorry that I yelled at you before.”
Trump's legal team announced their intention to submit court papers requesting a mistrial, although the specific justification for this action remains unclear. Trump himself expressed doubt about a fair ruling, remarking, "I'm sure the judge will rule against me because he always rules against me."
Social media reactions
Habba, a former fashion executive, has garnered attention for her strong and vocal defense of the former president. Her poise and style, along with her sharp legal arguments, have made her a standout figure in the trial, earning praise from many on social media.
"Judge Engoron is a nutcase. Good for her for standing up to him," one posted on X.
"She’s awesome bravo for her! She has brains and beauty! Shame on this corrupt Judge!" another wrote.
"She is the kind of lawyer we all wish we could find. This interview shows her conviction and tenacity. The court today was a complete joke to the judicial system," someone else added.
"Hell Yes…. @AlinaHabba don’t back down Ma’am," another gushed.
