New York County Supreme Court Judge Arthur Engoron snapped at former President Donald Trump’s counsel on Monday as he was upset with Trump’s answers to the state’s questions on the witness stand.
Engoron was not accepting Trump’s answer to a question from a state attorney he believed should have been answered in a yes or no format, NBC News reported. It came during questioning about 2014 financial statements, as CNN noted.
“The court needs to hear what he has to say about these statements,” Trump attorney Christopher Kise told the courtroom, per CNN. “He’s describing to you about why there was no intent to mislead anyone with his answers. That’s what he’s doing.”
“We are here to hear him answer questions and most of the time he’s not,” Engoron said.
After the exchange between Kise and Engoron, fellow Trump attorney Alina Habba said Kevin Wallace’s (of Attorney General Letitia James’s office) questioning was not “succinct,” according to NBC News.
“More succinct questions will give more succinct answers,” she said.
Flanked by his attorneys Chris Kise, left, and Alina Habba, former President Donald Trump waits to take the witness stand at New York Supreme Court, Monday, Nov. 6, 2023, in New York. (Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/AP)
“We are not here to hear what he has to say,” Engoron said. “We are here to have him answer questions.”
After Habba suggested the matter was more complicated than that, Engoron became louder, per the outlet.
“I am not here to hear what he has to say, now sit down!” he exclaimed.
Trump remarked at that point, “This is a very unfair trial. Very, very and I hope the public is watching,” according to CNN.
Engoron gagged both Kise and Habba on Friday, barring them from speaking about “confidential communications” he has with staff in the courtroom. It came following complaints from Trump’s team about note-passing from law clerk Allison Greenfield to Engoron, according to Politico.
“All counsel are prohibited from making any public statements, in or out of court, that refer to any confidential communications, in any form, between my staff and me,” read a copy of the order published by the Messenger.
“Serious sanctions” will be brought against the legal team if they violate the order, Engoron said.
