Former President Donald Trump appeared to inadvertently confessed to the very crimes he is being accused of during the second day of his high-profile fraud trial in New York. The trial, initiated by New York Attorney General Letitia James in September 2022, alleges that Trump and his associates fraudulently inflated real estate asset values, resulting in gains exceeding $100 million.
State Supreme Court Judge Arthur Engoron’s recent partial summary judgment, finding Trump guilty of business fraud and canceling his New York business certificates, set the stage for a high-stakes trial exploring the financial liabilities of Trump and his co-defendants.
Trump, perhaps unwittingly, admitted to the legitimacy of the accusations against him. Despite maintaining the authenticity of his organization’s financial documents, he argued that even if they were fraudulent, he should not be held accountable because it was up to the lenders and insurers to independently verify the information.
“Many, many warnings. Page one, page two, and many pages, it says, ‘Please, you must understand that you have to do your own due diligence.… Do not rely on anything, do not rely on the financial statements,’” he told reporters on Tuesday.
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“Also, the financial statements are very strong in terms of cash, liquidity, and everything else. This case is a scam. There can’t be fraud when you’ve told institutions to do their own work,” Trump asserted.
Trump: There can’t be fraud when you tell institutions to do their own work. pic.twitter.com/x4TqW6ZIrk
— Acyn (@Acyn) October 3, 2023
Trump’s statements inadvertently became a de facto admission to the accusations, sparking a deluge of ridicule across social media platforms.
One user on X –formerly Twitter– compared Trump’s comments to saying, “Hey, if your bank doesn’t have good security, it’s all legal and cool to rob it.”
See other responses below.
The next time I get caught in a lie, my response will be, “You should have done your due diligence.” I’m speaking hypothetically, of course.
— David Stone (Just looking, thanks) (@AuthorDavidSto1) October 3, 2023
the legal equivalent to saying the coronavirus will "just disappear."
— Devin Duke (@sirDukeDevin) October 3, 2023
disconcerting that the logic of a child could get a man this far in life but then you talk to 30%-40% of the adults in this country and it makes sense
— Sledge Johns (@SledgeJohns) October 3, 2023
The “everybody knows I’m going to lie” defense.
— Uncle Al (@PetrieAl65110) October 3, 2023
I robbed the bank, the guard couldn’t catch me, so it’s their fault.
— Fedoradee (@fedoradee) October 3, 2023
Like taking PPP money for employees you didn't have and then blaming the SBA for giving it to you. That defense hasn't worked either.
— LetsGetReal (@damnUJones) October 3, 2023
It’s not my fault that the teller thought the gun was real.🤷♂️
— Jon Ludwig (@JonathanRLudwig) October 3, 2023
“I mean they were just asking for me to defraud them, really… it’s all their fault…”
— EVERYTHING IMPORTANT (@crazynate999) October 3, 2023
