Donald Trump Jr. lauds "sexy" real estate on stand in New York fraud trial

New York, New York - Donald Trump Jr. extolled the virtues of the Trump Organization's "sexy" real estate portfolio on the witness stand Monday in response to softball questions from the defense team, in a spiel more akin to a sales pitch than fraud trial testimony.

Donald Trump Jr. was the first witness called by defense lawyers in the New York fraud trial against the family's real estate company.
Donald Trump Jr. was the first witness called by defense lawyers in the New York fraud trial against the family's real estate company.  © ADAM GRAY / AFP

Don Jr. (45) is the first witness brought by Trump's team of lawyers as they kick off their defense case in the $250 million fraud trial brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James against ex-president Donald Trump, his adult sons, and his company executives.

Don Jr.'s testimony offered the first taste of how the defense will approach their six-week case, which is slated to wrap up in mid-December.

Questioned by defense attorney Cliff Robert, the bulk of Don Jr.'s testimony was accompanied by a slick slideshow titled "The Trump Story," pulled straight from the company's website, trump.com.

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It showed glossy pictures of the Trump Organization's real estate holdings and its opulent corner windows, huge ballrooms, and luxurious lobbies.

Don Jr. spoke extensively about the history of nearly two dozen Trump Org properties, framing most as run-down plots that required the elder Trump's ability to spot a "diamond in the rough" to transform them into "sexy" and "spectacular" high-end holdings.

Donald Trump Jr. calls father "an artist with real estate"

Donald Trump Jr. returned to the witness stand on Monday in the fraud trial against his family's real estate company.
Donald Trump Jr. returned to the witness stand on Monday in the fraud trial against his family's real estate company.  © Erin Schaff / POOL / AFP

"My father is an artist with real estate," Don Jr. said. "He sees things other people don't."

The former president's eldest son also detailed his own ascent to executive vice president of the company after graduating from Wharton and working a year-and-a-half stint as a bartender in Aspen, Colorado.

"I think it's much more of a meritocracy than titles," Don Jr. said of the company's structure.

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Don Jr. was also called to the witness stand by the prosecution.

"Welcome back," Judge Arthur Engoron said to Don Jr. at the start of the day.

"I'd say it's good to be here, your honor, but the AG would sue me for perjury," he replied with a smile.

Monday provided a stark contrast to earlier testimony. Engoron allowed Don Jr.'s long, narrative answers to go unchecked.

AG attorney Colleen Flaherty pointed out Don Jr.'s ability to recall specifics about real estate deals, down to the price at which the company bought specific pieces of land decades ago — after his testimony earlier this month was filled with memory lapses.

Donald Trump, a 2024 presidential front-runner, and his adult sons have been accused of inflating the value of their worth to defraud banks and insurers of hundreds of millions of dollars.

Engoron has already found them liable for the top fraud count. The trial will determine the rest of the counts and the potentially millions they'll have to fork over.

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In his rambling testimony last week, Trump raged against both the judge and James, denied wrongdoing, and called the trial a "scam." His children — Ivanka Trump, Eric Trump, and Don Jr. — have taken a more gentle approach on the stand as they tried to distance themselves from their father while being closely questioned about their involvement in financial statements at the core of this case.

This is just one of Trump's many legal battles, which include four criminal trials slated for next year.

The trial is moving forward after defense lawyer Chris Kise filed a motion last week for a "directed verdict" that would end the case on the basis that the AG had not filed enough evidence.

"There is no victim. There is no complainant. There is no injury," Kise said on Thursday.

Cover photo: ADAM GRAY / AFP

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