Donald Trump explodes on witness stand, calling AG a ‘hack,’ accusing judge of fraud

Former President Donald Trump exploded less than two hours into testifying at his $250 million civil fraud trial in Manhattan on Monday — pointing at the judge while accusing him of “fraud” and calling the state attorney general a “hack.”

Trump, 77, started his testimony in hushed tones, but lost his cool after Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron threatened to throw him out for making “speeches” instead of giving direct answers on the stand.

The 2024 GOP presidential front-runner began ranting that Engoron and state Attorney General Letitia James — who is bringing the case against him — were “trying to hurt” him.

He called James, who was seated calmly in the front row, a “political hack,” accusing her of trying to use the case to boost her political profile.

Trump then went after Engoron, pointing at the jurist and proclaiming, “Everybody’s watching this case. He called me a fraud and he didn’t know anything about me.”

“The fraud is on the court and not on me,” he said, before adding of James, “The fraud is on her!”

“When you rule Mar-A-Lago is worth $18 million and she rules it’s worth $25 million, either people are very stupid or there’s a fraud. The fraud is on behalf of the court,” Trump said.

The former president began testifying under oath at 10 a.m. Monday in the trial over James’ claims that he inflated his assets for a decade on financial documents to save hundreds of millions on loan and insurance terms.

In a bombshell decision from days before trial began, Engoron found Trump responsible for some of James’ main fraud allegations, citing a Florida official’s appraisal of the Palm Beach golf club at a maximum of $27 million while Trump has claimed it’s worth as much as $1.5 billion.

“He said I’m a fraud because I didn’t value my property correctly,” Trump continued to loudly ramble Monday. “He’s the one who didn’t rule my property correctly.”

Trump also insisted he did a “great job” as president.

Finally, Kevin Wallace, a lawyer in the AG’s office, asked, “You’re done?”

“I’m done,” Trump responded.

The morning’s testimony was marked by noticeable tension and multiple clashes between Trump and his lawyers and the judge.

Engoron said he’d kick the former commander-in-chief off the witness stand if he didn’t stop giving “speeches” to Wallace’s simple “yes-or-no questions.”

“We got another speech,” Engoron said to Trump’s lawyers at one point.

“I beseech you to control him if you can. If you can’t, I will,” the judge continued.

“I will excuse him and use every negative inference that I can.”

Trump lawyer Alina Habba stood up and interrupted Wallace’s questioning of her client at one point, telling Engoron his job was to listen to what Trump had to say.

“I am not here to listen to what he has to say!” Engoron shouted, before telling Habba to “sit down.”

“This is a very unfair trial — very very — and I hope the public is watching,” Trump inserted.

During a short morning break, Trump didn’t answer media questions in the hallway, making the zipped-lips gesture. And on his way out of the courtroom for lunch, he gave a thumbs-up to reporters asking how the trial was going.

Trump told reporters outside the courtroom before his testimony this morning that the case was “election interference” and “political warfare.”

He is not allowed to speak about his testimony again until after it has concluded.

During a lunch break outside court, Habba went off on the judge in front of TV cameras, saying: “I was told to sit down today. I was yelled at and I’ve had a judge, who is unhinged, slamming a table.”

“Let me be very clear: I don’t tolerate that in my life. I’m not going to tolerate it here,” she said.

The firebrand lawyer also implied her client would win the 2024 presidential election.

“And the numbers don’t lie when President Trump runs for office in 2024,” Habba said. “Those numbers are loud and clear.”

“This country is falling apart. And if we don’t stop corruption, in courtrooms where attorneys are gagged, where attorneys are not allowed to say what they need to say to protect their client interest,” she said. “It doesn’t matter what your politics are. Everyone in this country has a right to put up a defense.”

On James’ way into court Monday morning, she said Trump would “engage in name-calling, taunts and race-baiting, calling this a witch hunt.”

“But at the end of the day, the only thing that matters are the facts and the numbers, and numbers, my friends, don’t lie.”