When it comes to a court proceeding, it is important for all parties involved to remain civil, but this was not the case on August 12 when President Donald Trump testified in a civil lawsuit.
The case features Trump’s former property manager Johann Paik as the plaintiff, suing Trump for $2 million in an unpaid loan.
The proceeding began calmly, with Paik’s lawyer reading a series of questions about Trump’s financial and real estate ventures. But as the cross-examination continued, Trump soon became hostile towards the judge. He was even reprimanded by US Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn after making disparaging and belligerent remarks. At one point, Trump even expressed his displeasure in the fact that the judge was not looking into Paik’s background.
Netburn replied in no uncertain terms: “We are not here to adjudicate Mr. Paik’s credibility or any of his behavior. We are here to adjudicate your motion.”
It was then that Trump admitted his own wrongdoings, claiming that he had “screwed up” and “made mistakes”.
When asked about a December 30, 2012 letter he had written to Paik, Trump asserted that he had not read the letter before signing it. However, he failed to properly address the email exchange containing the letter and Netburn reprimanded him further.
A transcript of the proceedings would provide a better understanding of the situation. But simply put, it is plain to see that President Trump’s conduct during this legal hearing was far from professional.
We can be certain that this case is one that does not reflect positively on Trump and his reputation will most likely be further damaged as a result of this court case. It is thus important to not make the same mistakes in the future or else risk facing similar criticisms to the ones Trump faced during this legal hearing.