Lawrence O’Donnell had biting words for Donald Trump when he discussed the staggering $551 million that Trump now owes in two separate lawsuits. The MSNBC host made it clear on “The Last Word” Friday night that Trump only has himself to blame. O’Donnell began, “Since this network and other news organizations called the presidential election on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2020, every day of Donald Trump’s life has been worse than the day before.”
“Today is $464 million worse than yesterday for Donald Trump and his children,” O’Donnell continued. “There was no suspense really in today’s judicial finding and the civil fraud case brought against Donald Trump by New York Attorney General Letitia James.”
“Jury verdicts are always suspenseful. You never know what juries are thinking — but it was always very clear what the fact-finder in this case, Judge Arthur Engoron, was thinking. It was very clear what any reasonable person would think when confronted with the evidence in this case.”
“In his ruling today, which cost Donald Trump and his children $463.9 million, including interest, Judge Engoron wrote, ‘In order to borrow more, and at lower rates, defendants submitted blatantly false financial data to the incompetence resulting in fraudulent financial statements. When confronted at trial with the statements defendants’ fact and expert witnesses simply denied reality and defendants failed to accept responsibility or to impose internal controls to prevent future recurrences.’”
“That’s the essence of the case,” O’Donnell added. “So as of tonight, because of Donald Trump’s stupidity, and recklessness as a businessman and because of Donald Trump’s utter depravity, and raping E. Jean Carroll in the 1990s, Donald Trump owes a total of $551 million in legally enforceable judgments against him in the state of New York.”
As O’Donnell pointed out, interest on that amount is also building to the tune of an additional $1 million each week Trump does not make payments. The former president has just over 20 days left to deposit Carroll’s $83 million into an account controlled by the court. If he loses his appeal, Carroll will immediately be awarded the funds.
He also has 30 days to deposit $463 million in a separate account controlled by the court so that he can appeal the case brought on behalf of the state of New York brought by Letitia James.
Watch O’Donnell’s segment, which included James’ statement following the judge’s ruling, in the video above.
