New York: New York Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron asked former President Donald Trump not to make speeches in the court as he appeared for taking stand in a civil fraud case, AFP reported.
‘This is not a political rally,’ Justice Arthur Engoron told Trump, adding ‘Please, just answer the questions, no speeches,’ according to the report.
Trump is the first US president in more than a century to be a defendant in a court case.
The 77-year-old termed the testimony a "very unfair" and "crazy trial" that he accused Democrats brought about.
Trump and his sons Don Jr and Eric and others executives of Trump Organization are facing charges of exaggerating value of real estate to avail favourable bank loans and insurance terms, according to News agency AFP.
Trump dismissed the allegations, adding that the value of the “Trump brand’ was not considered in the valuation of real estate assets.
Responding to the questions from Kevin Wallace, a lawyer associated with the New York attorney general's office, Trump claimed that he became president because of his brand.
Trump told reporters outside the courtroom that the case was an ‘election interference’.
Meanwhile, New York state Attorney General Letitia James reportedly said that Trump had ‘consistently misrepresented and inflated the value of his assets.’
James further said that Trump would engage in name-calling, taunts and race-baiting, adding that at the end of the day only thing that matters is the facts and numbers.