Donald Trump says he’s managed to pull together almost half a billion dollars to pay his eye-watering appeal bond owed to New York state after he and his companies were found liable for fraud.
The GOP’s presumptive nominee claimed in recent legal filings that he hasn’t been able to secure more than $460 million required to post his bond and appeal the eye-watering ruling against him. New York Attorney General Letitia James could begin action to start seizing Trump’s assets as early as Monday, when the deadline to post the bond expires.
From Thursday night into Friday, Trump fired off a series of furious Truth Social posts attacking the ruling, James, and the “TRUMP HATING JUDGE” in the case.
“THROUGH HARD WORK, TALENT, AND LUCK, I CURRENTLY HAVE ALMOST FIVE HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS IN CASH, A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF WHICH I INTENDED TO USE IN MY CAMPAIGN FOR PRESIDENT,” Trump wrote in one post.
Without naming Justice Arthur F. Engoron, Trump wildly claimed the judge was aware of Trump’s intention to use the funds on his 2024 presidential campaign, and decided he “WANTED TO TAKE IT AWAY FROM ME.” “I DID NOTHING WRONG EXCEPT WIN AN ELECTION IN 2016 THAT I WASN’T EXPECTED TO WIN, DID EVEN BETTER IN 2020, AND NOW LEAD, BY A LOT, IN 2024,” the former president raged. “THIS IS COMMUNISM IN AMERICA!”
In an earlier post that made no mention of his supposed $500 million in cash, Trump claimed the massive civil fraud ruling against him was designed to “DAMAGE ME POLITICALLY, AND NOT ALLOW ME TO USE ANY OF THE LARGE AMOUNT OF CASH I HAVE BUILT UP OVER THE YEARS, THROUGH HARD WORK, INSIGHT, INSTINCT, AND DILIGENCE, ON MY POLITICAL CAMPAIGN FOR PRESIDENT.”
His campaign made similar accusations against James in a fundraising message to supporters on Wednesday, framing his legal troubles as part of a calculated attempt to “stifle” his re-election bid. “Insane radical Democrat AG Letitia James wants to SEIZE my properties in New York. THIS INCLUDES THE ICONIC TRUMP TOWER!” the message, which called for recipients to donate at least $20.24, read, according to MSNBC.