Trump criticizes Letitia James for recommending judge reject his $175M bond

Former President Donald Trump spoke ahead of his hush money trial in New York on Monday, but his remarks centered on a separate hearing taking place that morning, during which a judge will examine state Attorney General Letitia James’s argument that the court should reject a bond Trump paid.

Trump tore into James, an elected Democrat, for doubting the credibility of the $175 million bond, which Trump secured through a subsidiary of auto industry billionaire Don Hankey.

“The bonding company would be good for it because I put up the money, and I have plenty of money to put up,” Trump said.

Trump’s remarks came just prior to the president attending his criminal trial in Manhattan, where attorneys were poised to deliver opening statements about allegations that Trump concealed payments to a porn star in 2016 to help his election prospects.

Meanwhile, Trump is also fighting a judgment issued by Judge Arthur Engoron in February that he pay $454 million in fines and interest after Engoron found Trump and Trump Organization executives liable for years of business fraud.

Trump has appealed the ruling, and the appellate court ruled in the meantime that Trump would not have to secure the full bond amount, but rather a $175 million bond, while his appeal remains pending. Monday’s hearing in that case will focus on the bond Trump posted.

Trump was also banned from most business activity in New York as a result of the judgement, and he noted that he could not therefore seek a bond from a New York-based company and instead used a company in California. Knight Special Insurance, a Delaware-based company, authorized the bond, but the company is a subsidiary of Hankey’s company in Los Angeles.

“[New York has] got to be the most unfriendly place to do business, and that’s why businesses are leaving and people are leaving as migrants come in and take over our parks and our schools and everything else,” Trump said.

Trump called James, who has asked Engoron to reject Trump’s bond, the “worst attorney general in the country.” Engoron will hear arguments Monday about why James believes the bond is not properly collateralized.

“I just want you know to that that’s taking place in front of an extremely crazed judge who’s the most overturned judge in New York state,” Trump said.

He added that he would not use Engoron’s name, a comment that comes as Trump has faced repeated allegations that he has violated gag orders in both his civil and criminal cases in New York.

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“You know who it is. I don’t have to mention names,” Trump said. “I want to be nice. I want to be very nice, but a thing like what’s going on right here should never be happening. It’s a very, very sad day in America,” Trump said.