A legal representative and spokesperson for former President Donald Trump expressed strong criticism for New York Attorney General Letitia James in a recent interview, characterizing the state’s chief prosecutor as lacking intelligence.
“She’s just not that bright. I’m sorry, I have to say it,” attorney Alina Habba told Newsmax TV, adding that she doesn’t believe James has a good case. “I’ve seen their case; I’ve seen their lawyers. They don’t know what they’re talking about.”
Letitia James initiated a $250 million civil lawsuit against Donald Trump and his company, alleging a long-standing practice of inflating property values to secure more favorable loan terms, thereby defrauding banks. Alongside the substantial financial penalty, James aims to prohibit the former president from engaging in any business activities within the state of New York.
Judge Arthur Engoron, overseeing the proceedings, had previously determined Trump’s culpability in bank fraud in a ruling made in September. However, the judge has displayed overt hostility towards the former president and his legal team throughout the ongoing trial.
“Just because a bank who’s giving you a loan says it’s worth what the loan amount is, which is what happens when anybody takes a loan out, they’re never going to say the real value,” she continued, per The Hill. “They’re going to say what they want to say and not a penny more, or what the loan amount is and not a penny more.”
“She needs to educate herself, maybe go to some — I don’t even know how to express how ridiculous this is,” Habba said. “It’s like being in a circus with a bunch of — I mean, what I want to say I can’t say on TV, but it’s crazy. You know, it’s just ridiculous. Anybody with a brain understands that this is just completely insane.”
Anticipations abound that Engoron will likely pronounce Trump guilty, considering the civil nature of the case, which does not entail incarceration. Despite this, Trump’s attorney, Habba, dismissed the notion of the former president serving prison time in connection with other cases, emphasizing that it’s not a consideration they entertain. When questioned on the prospect of Trump facing imprisonment for violating gag orders, Habba asserted that he is shielded by the Secret Service.
“So, I always tell people when they’re panicked, ‘Listen, he’s protected by Secret Service, number one. Number two, he did nothing wrong.’ So, when people go to jail, it’s because they’ve done something wrong. Do we have crooked situations in and out of court? Absolutely. Could they try? Probably, but it won’t work because there is still a trial process, there is still facts, and unfortunately, they’re not going to win on the facts,” she continued.
She added: “Secret Service will always protect President Trump. That’s the truth, they have to wherever he is, but it’s not even something we think about, to be honest, because this is all political. It’s really not— there’s no criminal acts that he’s done. There’s no civil wrongs that he’s done, unless making money for banks is a civil wrong all of a sudden.”
“Orange man bad,” responded Higbie, to which Habba said, “It’s Trump derangement syndrome at its best. I’m not worried about him, he’s not worried, and the American public shouldn’t be worried.”
In contrast, a former federal prosecutor, Andrew McCarthy, criticized James for pursuing Trump in a case devoid of any financially harmed party. McCarthy argued in an op-ed that James is fabricating losses that were never incurred to target Trump. Trump has asserted that none of the banks and companies he engaged with throughout the years experienced financial losses or harm.
McCarthy essentially supports Trump’s argument, writing in National Review: “The case against the former president lacks victims, so Tish James and Arthur Engoron are inventing some.”
