2:50 p.m. ET, November 1, 2023
Inside the Courtroom: Trump’s Astonishing Testimony
Former President Donald Trump is questioned by Judge Arthur F. Engoron before being fined $10,000 for violating a gag order for a second time, during the Trump Organization civil fraud trial in New York State Supreme Court in the Manhattan borough of New York City, on October 25.
Jane Rosenberg/Reuters
Engoron asked Trump if he would like to be on the witness stand.
Without hesitation, Trump pushed back his seat at the defense table and walked into the witness box. Dressed in a navy suit, pinstripe shirt, and a blue tie, Trump raised his right hand and swore to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
Trump’s unexpected appearance as a witness during the trial was a moment that stunned everyone. This year has been filled with unprecedented events for the former president, who is facing multiple indictments and potential criminal trials while simultaneously running for the White House in 2024.
This episode, where Trump’s alleged violation of a gag order could have resulted in imprisonment, highlights the challenges he faces in reconciling his campaign rhetoric with the constraints of the courtroom.
Once on the stand, Engoron, wearing his lawyer hat, calmly interrogated the former president, citing Trump’s comments to reporters just hours before.
“This judge is a very partisan judge with a person who is very partisan sitting alongside him — perhaps even much more partisan than he is,” Trump had said.
Before lunch, Trump’s lawyers claimed his statement was not about the judge’s clerk but about Michael Cohen, Trump’s former lawyer and fixer, who was also present in the courtroom. However, this claim strained credibility due to Trump’s past attacks.
Engoron wanted to hear the truth directly from Trump.
“To whom were you referring?” Engoron asked Trump about his comments in the hallway.
“You and Cohen,” Trump said.
“Are you sure you didn’t mean the person on the other side?” Engoron asked, referring to his clerk seated to his right with a straight face.
“Yes, I’m sure,” Trump responded.
During the first week of the trial, Engoron enforced a gag order that prohibited parties from discussing his staff, following a social media post by Trump attacking Engoron’s clerk and featuring a picture of her with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat.
