An altercation erupted in court between Judge Engoron and Chris Kise, an attorney for Donald Trump, as Kise leveled accusations of bias against the judge. The dispute unfolded late Wednesday afternoon after Defense Attorney Jesus Suarez’s line of questioning to Ivanka Trump regarding a General Services Administration document was met with an objection from State Attorney Louis Solomon.
Kise expressed frustration at what he perceived as inconsistent standards applied by the judge to the defense’s document use, leading to a tense exchange. “I’ve objected hundreds of times now,” Kise argued, pointing out what he considered to be a discrepancy in the judge’s rulings. Judge Engoron retorted, dismissing the insinuation of unfair treatment and countering that the state’s objections held greater merit.
Amid this, Ivanka Trump, who had been testifying about her involvement in a property redevelopment project, concluded her time on the stand after facing an intense cross-examination.
The atmosphere in the courtroom became charged when Suarez questioned Ivanka about her bipartisan cooperation on the project, leading to apparent laughter from the state attorneys’ table, which Suarez angrily branded as “insulting.”
Attempting to defuse the situation, Judge Engoron suggested the laughter was due to the repetitive nature of Suarez’s inquiries, indicating that the state attorneys might have found the repeated clarification of the lawmakers’ political affiliation humorous.
In the day’s final developments, State Attorney Kevin Wallace informed the court that New York Attorney General Letitia James had concluded the state’s presentation in the case against Trump and his sons. Judge Engoron announced that discussions on directed verdict motions and defense expert testimony would proceed the following day.
With no witnesses slated for the next court session, the defense, represented by Kise, is set to commence their case on Monday, November 13.
