His Own Worst Enemy
Last week, I wrote here about how the Trump brothers seem to miss the point that the only person who matters in the courtroom is not the prosecutor they were arguing with, but the judge who is going to decide what penalty their company will have to pay.
It appears that their dad is inflicted with the exact same myopia. Except – being Trump – he’s ratcheted it up several notches.
For one thing, he’s not so much arguing with the prosecutor but with the judge himself. (I was going to say “for inexplicable reasons,” but realized it’s not inexplicable, it’s Trump. It’s so on-brand.) The very man who is going to decide how large the penalty is the man Trump is actually attacking. You explain the sanity of that. And it’s even worse than that, since that man, the judge, has not only already ruled that the Trump Company did commit fraud (which is why this part of the trial is only about how much the penalty should be, not if there should be one) – but he has also already ruled, when deciding on a gag order that Trump was not a credible witness. And Trump is attacking him before the judge has made his decision. Clearly not understanding or perhaps able to process that the judge is The Only Person Who Matters in the courtroom.
The other way Trump has ratcheted up his lack of understanding that it’s the judge who matters, that there’s no jury to win over with his self-perceived charm and importance, but rather a judge who has tried similar cases for years and actually understands the law is Trump’s willingness to incriminate himself on the stand, rather than try to blame others, as is his usual Standard Operating Procedure, and which the Brothers Trump at least tried.
And so, there is Trump admitting under oath that the Trump Company financial statements were prepared to “influence” banks – financial statements that the judge has already ruled were fraudulent and a crime!
And there is Trump answering, when asked who at the company was responsible for preventing fraud, not that it was the fault of outside attorneys but rather “Everybody” at the company. Never mind that the judge has already ruled that fraud wasn’t prevented and intentionally committed, which is a crime.
And there, too, is Trump bragging to the prosecutor that his net worth was actually much bigger than was on the financial statements, insisting “Therefore, you have no case” – never mind that when financial information is intentionally misrepresented, whether exaggerated or under-reported…it is fraud and a crime.
Fun Fact: If you under-report your finances on your taxes to play less, it is a crime. No, really! It turns out, though, that Trump doesn’t grasp this fact, perhaps because lying on his taxes was second nature to him and therefore allowed.
And maybe the most important thing related to all these admissions: with Trump admitting under oath to all these frauds he committed, confirming what the judge has already ruled about the Trump Company committing fraud – Trump himself has pretty much effectively removed any defense his lawyers have in appealing that the judge unfairly ruled that the Trump Company committed fraud.
It’s so hard to rule that the judge was wrong in ruling that you committed fraud when you admitted under oath to committing fraud – three times!
And further still, there was Trump figuring no doubt that he was being oh-so clever ranting and raving and attacking the judge all to deflect and avoid answering the questions asked to him by the prosecutor, as the judge kept admonishing him to answer the questions – at one point even telling Trump that you can attack me and say anything you want, but answer the questions – never remembering that this trial is in civil court where a refusal to answer a question can be taken with an “adverse inference” (to assume the worst) by those deciding the case. Which here is…say it all together: the judge.
And still, there was Trump, attacking the judge when on the stand. Which explains why the prosecution was just fine letting him go rambling on.
And no doubt, he will keep attacking the judge in public, as he rambles on. As the trial continues and the judge determines the penalty the Trump company will have to pay for the fraud crime the judge has ruled was already committed. Which Trump confirmed under oath. Three times.
Ramble on.
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