Donald Trump took the stand Monday in his New York fraud trial, and CNN's Elie Honig said the former president could face sanctions for antagonizing the judge.
Judge Arthur Engoron repeatedly admonished the ex-president and told his attorneys to control their client, and he threatened to excuse him as a witness and draw a negative inference for any question he might be asked.
"This is a crash-and-burn strategy," Honig said. "This is set for one day of testimony. Ordinarily in a criminal case, you don't set limits, and you can testify for as long as there is, and I wonder if there is a filibuster strategy, and I will run out the clock with my own self-serving statements, and the judge is now considering imposing sanctions of real consequence for the first time and no more admonishments or sternly worded statements or finger wagging, but I will strike the testimony and I will draw a negative inference and that means that I will assume that your testimony, Donald Trump, it would have been as harmful as it can be to you."
POLL: Should Trump be allowed to run for office?
"That is sort of the real weapon that the judge has here, and he has warned of it, but that is the ultimate answer if it is truly out of hand," Honig added.
Watch the video below or at this link.
CNN 11 06 2023 10 53 37 youtu.be