Trump: I'll Be in Court Monday to Defend Name

Former President Trump promises to be in a Manhattan courtroom Monday as one of his ongoing legal fights reaches the trial stage. "I'm going to Court tomorrow morning to fight for my name and reputation," he wrote on his Truth Social platform Sunday, per the BBC. "This whole case is a sham!!!" The case in question is the $250 million lawsuit brought against him by New York state Attorney General Letitia James, who says the Trump Organization defrauded banks and investors by wildly overstating the value of Trump properties and other assets. The former president is apparently aiming to use the lawsuit to his political advantage, per the New York Times.

"The decision to show up voluntarily in court by Mr. Trump, who has already been compelled to courthouses in four different criminal arraignments this year, underscores how personally aggrieved Mr. Trump feels by the accusations of fraud, as well as his own self-confidence that showing up will help his legal cause," write Shane Goldmacher and Maggie Haberman. Last week, the judge in the case ruled that Trump, his eldest sons, and their businesses did indeed commit fraud, a decision the Trumps will appeal, per CNN. The non-jury trial that begins this week is largely about determining the size of the financial penalty, notes Newsweek. Because it's a civil trial, prison is not a possibility. (More Donald Trump stories.)