Jonathan Turley says the ‘fact is that these cases have only increased Trump’s popularity’
A pair of legal experts discussed how former President Trump’s recent court testimony might have influenced his case in New York.
Trump testified in a trial that didn’t have a jury on Monday. This trial was the result of a lawsuit filed by New York Attorney General Leticia James against him and his businesses in New York.
During his testimony, the former president had a heated argument with Judge Arthur Engoron. At the same time, he was being questioned by Kevin Wallace, a lawyer working for the New York Attorney General’s Office.
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George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley told Fox News Digital that “Trump’s calling for testimony is like waiting for the green flag at NASCAR,” adding that many people “are coming for car accidents.”
“There is a clear disconnect in the evidence,” Turley said. “Trump appeared to be speaking to the public, but no jury or television camera was present. Instead, he was technically speaking to a judge, who repeatedly expressed frustration with the length and breadth of answers.”
Turley asserts that the reality is that these cases have only boosted Trump’s popularity and that for each indictment, he appears to gain five percentage points.
“If this trend continues, with four additional convictions, he could get a unanimous election,” Turley commented. “However, Trump’s challenge lies in the underlying law, as New York law does not mandate actual victimization or even financial loss.”
Turley went on to explain that this law provided a convenient means for James to fulfill her commitment to pursue legal action against Trump if she were elected, referring to the New York attorney general’s campaign promise.
“In that courtroom, two distinct arguments are being presented. James is arguing to prevent Trump from conducting business in New York, while Trump is advocating for his re-election,” he further explained.
Turley went on to say, “Both of them might be achieving their goals. James appears to have a favorable court, and Trump appears to be gaining support from the public.”
Attorney and conservative commentator Andy McCarthy told Fox News Digital that he doesn’t believe the former president’s testimony will have an impact on his case because it “has already been determined.”
McCarthy commented, “Both the judge and state attorney general were elected by Democrats. The attorney general campaigned on a promise to use the power of his office against Trump.”
“Before the trial began, the judge informed Trump that he had essentially already lost the case. The trial will focus on determining the financial penalty that Trump will have to bear, exceeding $250 million, and the possibility of being barred from doing business in New York,” McCarthy explained.
He concluded, “Regardless of Trump’s testimony, the judge appears to be set in his act.”
The civil trial is a result of James’ lawsuit against Trump, his family, and his businesses. James has claimed that Trump committed fraud against banks and exaggerated the worth of his assets.
Trump has consistently denied any wrongdoing and has frequently asserted that his assets were undervalued. He has emphasized that his financial statements included disclaimers, requesting banks to assess the numbers.
Following an intermission in his testimony, Trump once again took the stand to defend himself and his businesses, strongly criticizing the investigation.
“We shouldn’t even be here in court because we have a disclaimer clause that every court usually upholds, except for this judge,” Trump asserted, referring to the disclaimers present on all of his financial statements and statements of financial condition.
“They are attempting to harm me, especially her,” Trump added, referring to James, “for political motives.”
Trump continued by labeling James a “political opportunist,” asserting that she leveraged her investigation and lawsuit against him as a means to further her political ambitions, including her campaigns where she pledged to “take on Trump.”