NEW YORK — Donald Trump ’s New York civil fraud trial is back in session Thursday for closing arguments after authorities responded to a bomb threat at the home of the judge who moved this week to prevent the former president from delivering his own closing statements.
Authorities responded to the threat at Judge Arthur Engoron’s home on Long Island, a court official said. The proceedings are not expected to be delayed as a result.
Trump, the leading contender for the Republican presidential nomination, has repeatedly disparaged the judge in the case, accusing him in a social media post Wednesday night of working closely with the New York Attorney General “to screw me.”
That will leave the last words to the lawyers in a trial over allegations that Trump exaggerated his wealth on financial statements he provided to banks, insurance companies and others.
The former president had hoped to make that argument personally, but the judge — initially open to the idea — said no after a Trump lawyer missed a deadline for agreeing to ground rules. Among them, Engoron warned that Trump couldn’t use his closing remarks to “deliver a campaign speech” or use the opportunity to impugn the judge and his staff.
