Former President Donald Trump's "disaster testimony" in his $250 million lawsuit trial Monday is verging on a confession, according to legal experts from MSNBC.
Trump's rambling responses to State attorney Kevin Wallace's yes-or-no questions infuriated Judge Arthur Engoron who demanded attorney Chris Kise work harder to "control your client."
Should Trump continue to spew "word salad" on the stand, Engoron said he'd “draw every negative inference,” Lisa Rubin reported from the court.
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MSNBC legal writer Josh Rubin argued that it is particularly significant that Engoron is likening Trump's rants with an invocation of the Fifth Amendment, which provides protection from self-incrimination in legal cases but would also allow the judge to draw negative inferences in a civil case.
"So Trump’s testimony thus far is verging on a confession," Josh Rubin writes, "by virtue of his inability to control himself, according to the judge."
The $250 million lawsuit accuses the Trump family of defrauding lenders and investors by inflating the value of the Trump Organization.
While Trump denies wrongdoing, Engoron has already ruled Trump is liable for fraud. This civil trial determines how Trump and his holdings will be penalized.
Tension has been mounting in the courtroom for days as Trump has repeatedly lashed out against Engoron and his legal team targeted a court staffer who they unsuccessfully tried to argue was biased against their client.
James, meanwhile, continues to present a level-headed demeanor in public appearances and contends the facts will support her case.
The New York attorney general said outside the courtroom Monday, "Numbers, my friends, don't lie."
