Trump's kids provide a striking contrast while testifying in a New York fraud case

 Trump's kids provide a striking contrast while testifying in a New York fraud case

The two adult sons of US President Donald Trump appeared in court on Thursday wearing virtually similar navy blue suits as they gave consecutive testimony in the civil fraud lawsuit that puts their family's economic empire at risk.

Even the light blue ties that Donald Jr. and Eric Trump wore seemed coordinated.

But the testimony of the two brothers were a study in contrasts. Although their public identities are closely associated with their father's political and financial endeavors, their personalities and reputations could not have diverged more.

The oldest Trump Jr. made an effort to extend some of the bluster and humor from his Wednesday performance into his second day on the platform.

Even though he was in charge of the business and a trustee of his father's revocable trust, he persisted in denying any knowledge of or participation in the accounting procedures that had drawn the attention of the state attorney general of New York.

"Rinse and repeat," he said in response to state's attorney Colleen Faherty's incessant queries.

During a morning break, he even seemed to flirt with the courtroom painters.

Sons of Donald Trump stand tall in New York fraud trial

Five facts about Trump's trial in New York

The opulent New York structures that Trump may forfeit

He joked, "Make me look ," to one of them.

Donald Trump Jr. has developed into a younger, somewhat more polished version of his father, the former US president, during the last several years. His greatest reputation comes from being a prominent campaign surrogate who sometimes adopts his father's cadences.

His remarks outside the Manhattan court amounted to a polished version of the "witch hunt" defense put out by Donald Trump Sr.

Regretfully, he told reporters, "the attorney general has presented a case that is solely a political persecution."

On the other hand, Eric Trump was more reserved when he started testifying late on Thursday morning.

Eric Trump is now mostly connected to the family company, even if his brother now commands much of the political space.

Eric Trump was the only one on the witness stand at the time, so there were no jokes. Compared to his sibling, his interrogation was significantly more heated.

Eric Trump was faced with emails he had received mentioning the statements of financial condition, the balance sheets the attorney general said were unlawfully inflated, after first denying he had knowledge of or participation with them.

An employee's 2013 email to Eric Trump stating that he wanted information for statements of financial condition was shown by the attorney general's office.

An attorney for the attorney general's office named Andrew Amer questioned Eric Trump about his knowledge of his father's financial accounts during one particularly contentious encounter.

"We're a major organization, a massive real estate organization - yes, I'm pretty sure I understand that we have financial statements," Eric said, becoming upset. Of course."

He then stated: "I had no involvement and never worked on my father's statement of financial condition."

Eric Trump, in contrast to his brother, did not socialize with court employees during the recesses. Rather, he waited for the judge to return while standing in front of the defense table and adjusting his weight back and forth.

The brothers' destinies are connected despite their differences.

Together, they serve as executive vice presidents of the Trump Organization, overseeing their father's commercial empire.

The case filed by the attorney general of New York claims that the company committed extensive fraud, and both of them are mentioned in it.

And in the event that a court finds against them, both could be unable to do business in New York.

Donald Trump, the guy they supposedly did this all for, did not appear in court on Thursday, after making many previous appearances.

On the other hand, he did share a supportive remark on Truth Social.

"So sad," he said in a letter, "to see my sons being PERSECUTED."