Trump Jr. hails his father as a "genius" during the New York fraud trial

 Trump Jr. hails his father as a "genius" during the New York fraud trial

Donald Trump Jr. referred to his father as "an artist with real estate" as he took the witness again during his family's civil fraud trial in New York.

For the sake of the Trump Organization, the younger Mr. Trump argued that the former president was a "genius" who could build luxury out of nothing.

According to the prosecution, the business overstated appraisals to get advantageous financing.

Should the Trump real estate enterprise lose in court, it may be prohibited from doing business in New York.

During his Monday morning testimony, Mr. Trump Jr. seemed at ease, upbeat, and self-assured, carrying on the charm offensive from his initial appearance two weeks earlier.

He made everyone chuckle when he suggested that if he said, "It's good to be here," the prosecutor in the case, New York Attorney General Letitia James, may prosecute him for perjury. This was just after he was sworn in.

He also quipped that he wanted the AI version of himself, complete with a strong chin and wide shoulders, to be painted, pointing to his previous complaints about the courtroom sketch art. He claimed to have "already had a talk" with the artist who was drawing the events of the day.

"I'm, like, the nongolfer of the household, which has relegated me to the children's chair in perpetuity," he added, even making Judge Arthur Engoron giggle.

The purpose of Trump's children's testimony in a fraud case

Trump's kids in a courtroom confrontation: a study in contrasts

The Ivy League graduate, who was wearing a black suit and a light lavender tie, spoke about how she went from working as a bartender in Colorado to being a project manager at the Trump Organization and eventually becoming an executive.

He said the corporation was like a "mom and pop" operation, although dealing with "world class assets" and running on a "meritocracy" model.

The defense attorneys gave a long talk outlining the company's history and introducing proof of "the Trump story".

Prosecutors complained that Mr. Trump Jr. was essentially receiving a "script" from the attorneys, to which he responded, "Your honor, I promise I'll keep it under six weeks."

It was a subtle shot at the state, whose case-making process took six weeks.

Attorneys flipped between other Trump properties, with Mr. Trump Jr. providing details on each one, ranging from 40 Wall Street to Seven Springs.

The ground-breaking project that marked "the first time he changed the skyline" and established his father's career was Trump Tower.

"It would be one of the first excellent representations of ultra-luxury real estate emerging in Manhattan - and the benchmark by which all future high-end domestic apartments would have been judged," he said.

Situated between the lake and the ocean, the Mar-a-Lago resort in West Palm Beach, Florida, was considered "one of the few sort of American castles" due to its "virtually unheard of" position.

"That atrium couldn't be built for $18 million today," he said, contesting the appraisers' estimates of the property's value.

"You need to understand it as well as see it to actually fully grasp the magnificent nature of this property."

"Eyesores" might become "jewels" and he was on the cutting edge of adding value to properties, according to his description of his father, who was not in court.

Mr. Trump Jr. claimed to "see the things that other people don't see." "He sees things that others could never imagine." He is a long-game player."

The majority of the testimony had little bearing on the main allegations in the case.

Mr. Trump has previously been found to have greatly exaggerated the worth of his properties by Judge Engoron. The main accusations at trial include conspiracy, insurance fraud, and document fabrication.

However, the judge made it clear that he was open to hearing the defense's argument. A mistrial request has already been made by the Trump attorneys, who claim that the judge and his clerk are biased.

He protested, "There's no jury - I don't see any prejudice to this," in response to many attempts by the prosecution to argue that the presentation was unrelated.

"Do you want to risk a reversal over this one stupid document?" he later questioned prosecutors in response to an objection to a document submitted by defense attorneys.

The state had been concentrating a lot on spreadsheets and financial statements, but Mr. Trump Jr.'s comeback established the framework for a defense that may last into mid-December.

However, legal experts warned the BBC that after two bruising weeks of evidence from the Trump family, the case may not be salvageable at this stage.