What It’s Like Inside Court With Donald Trump

Photographer Rachel Cobb Documents the Former President's Civil Fraud Trial

Former president Donald Trump makes comments before entering a New York courtroom for his civil fraud case brought forward by NY Attorney General Letitia James. Until now, the last ex-president to testify as a court trial defendant was Teddy Roosevelt in 1913.

 

Former president Trump lashed out from the witness stand prompting judge Arthur Engoron to ask Trump’s lawyers “can you control your client? This is not a political rally.”

In the press area where journalists make images when Trump emerges, they immediately upload and transmit them to their news organizations. Cellular reception, however, is unreliable at best. Some hold up cellphones next to a window and photographer Jeenah Moon holds up her laptop to get a signal.

Court officer Cicio keeps watch outside courtroom 300 where former president Donald Trump is inside testifying.

Many journalists have been on site since well before dawn in order to get a good position in the small penned-in area outside the courtroom. During the long hours waiting for former president Donald Trump to come out of court, a member of the press nods off.

After court session wrapped, Trump addressed members of the press, saying “this is a case that should never have been brought.” “The fraud was on behalf of the court. The court was the fraudster in this case.”

New York Attorney General Letitia James spoke after court adjourned, saying of former president Trump “he rambled, he hurled insults.” But “evidence demonstrated the fact that he falsely inflated his assets to basically enrich himself and his family.” “I will not be bullied,” she added.

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See more of Rachel Cobb’s work at Instagram.

Rachel Cobb
Rachel Cobb
Rachel Cobb is a photographer who lives in New York City. She has worked for numerous publications including The New York Times, Time magazine and Rolling Stone magazine. Her award-winning book Mistral: The Legendary Wind of Provence was published by Damiani in 2018. You can find her on the web at @rachelcobbphoto.





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