Judge rescinds permission for Trump to give closing argument at his civil fraud trial

[EarlG]

Source: AP

Donald Trump won't make his own closing argument in his New York civil business fraud trial after his lawyers objected to the judge's insistence that the former president would stick to “relevant” matters.

Judge Arthur Engoron rescinded permission on Wednesday, a day ahead of closing arguments in the trial.

The trial could cost Trump hundreds of millions of dollars in penalties and strip him of his ability to do business in New York. His lawyers had signaled Thursday that he planned to take the extraordinary step of delivering a summation personally, in addition to arguments from his legal team.

Read more: https://www.wesh.com/article/trump-closing-argument-civil-fraud-trial/46339009

[Botany]

1. What a shame. I was looking forward to Donny giving his summation under the court and the judge's...

… guide lines aka stick to the facts, the evidence, and the law. It would be the 1st summation
where the attorney would take the 5th.

[SarahD]

2. I lnow, right?

I should be tired of it by now, but it's still fun when he goes way far afield. Magnets are destroyed by water.

[getagrip_already]

3. ahh, meaning he couldn't enter any NEW testimony, or anything not already testified to, meaning his made up crap

that makes sense now.

Otherwise he would be a witness subject to cross examination and that is not the point of a closing argument.

This restriction is not what trump can live with since he wanted to go off on his conspiracy theories he couldn't prove during the trial.

[sinkingfeeling]

4. Of course, he wouldn't agree to sticking to relevant matters.

[Kennah]

5. Mistake. They shoulda let him punk out.

[progressoid]

13. Nah. It would have been a political speech for Trump.

This would have been tons of free publicity for him.

[KS Toronado]

16. I question that, think the Judge would stop him ie: "Just the facts, ma'am",

[Kennah]

20. He'll do that anyway, and he has a history of punking out

[zuul]

21. TFG wanted to testify without being sworn in

as a witness, so he could lie his ass off without fear of perjury. The judge was right to stop this.

[bmichaelh]

6. What a shame: Poor Trump

Trump will say that his free speech is being stifled.

I would respond a frequent line from the Sopranos:
Poor You

[Pluvious]

7. What a pathetic LOOOOOOOOOSER !

LMAO

https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2024-01-10/trump-civil-fraud-trial-closing-argument-judge-rescinds-permission

[Maeve]

8. He won't play by the rules so he can take his ball and go home--It's the judge's court, after all!

[iluvtennis]

10. Well said @Maeve! n/t

[Novara]

9. I wonder why Engoron approved of it initially

He knows better. He knows that it would just be a listing of grievances.

I suppose "to be fair" he had to approve it, but then when it was clear that Mango Mussolini can't stick to the relevance of the case, he could rescind approval. So that won't be appealed. Relevant fact here:

after his lawyers objected to the judge's insistence that the former president would stick to “relevant” matters.

[truthisfreedom]

11. There goes the late night comedians' free material.

Coulda been great. Thanks, judge!

[Aviation Pro]

12. As entertaining as it would be...

Engoron made the right call.

[twodogsbarking]

14. Judge Engoron knows he could never get the smell out of his courtroom.

Trump can't pass the smell test.

[muriel_volestrangler]

15. It's incredible that *everything* about Trump screams "do not elect this man!"

You can't trust him to obey the rules in a courtroom. How the fuck can he govern the country fairly, according to morals, tradition or the law?

I mean, everyone else has some form of plus point - even Putin can be said to want his country to succeed, which a president should. But the nearest Trump gets to wanting success for something other than himself is for whites to be on top. And the election is not for Chief Racist (that's just the Republican primary contest, these days).

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

17. Can this be appealed, thus wasting more time?

In Trump's world, every delay is a little victory.

[HighFired49]

18. Maybe the judge thought better of allowing the IDIOT to argue for himself

Could possibly have resulted in trying to get a mistrial ruling for allowing an obvious psycho to argue in his own defense? Better to just follow president and let the lawyers handle it.

[pfitz59]

19. Trump would've made a campaign speech

full of lies unrelated to the facts of the case. "I'm the victim here. Witch-hunt. Blah blah blah..."

[LetMyPeopleVote]

22. Here are the conditions that the judge was going to impose on TFG

Here are the rules and conditions that the judge told TFG that he would have to comply with if he wanted to give part of the closing argument

Link to tweet

TFG did not respond to the third deadline and so the judge ruled that TFG could not give part of the closing argument

Link to tweet

[BlueKota]

23. So will he still be in attendance?

I hope he will totally lose it, to the point where he violates the judge's order & they will have to take him out in handcuffs, or he gets so furious his blood pressure spikes, and nature takes it's course