'One of them is lying': Experts warn Trump his $500M claim directly contradicts lawyers
In a post to Truth Social this Friday morning, Donald Trump claimed that he has "almost" $500 million in cash — a claim that contradicts his lawyers who said earlier this week that complying with the $464 million judgment against him in New York Attorney General Letitia James' civil fraud case against him would cause "irreparable harm."
"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. THE OFTEN OVERTURNED POLITICAL HACK JUDGE ON THE RIGGED AND CORRUPT A.G. CASE, WHERE I HAVE DONE NOTHING WRONG, KNEW THIS, WANTED TO TAKE IT AWAY FROM ME, AND THAT’S WHERE AND WHY HE CAME UP WITH THE SHOCKING NUMBER WHICH, COUPLED WITH HIS CRAZY INTEREST DEMAND, IS APPROXIMATELY $454,000,000. 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.THIS IS COMMUNISM IN AMERICA!" Trump wrote in his usual all-caps style.
The deadline for Trump to post the bond for the full amount is this Monday. If he fails to do so, James can start the process of seizing his assets.
On X, critics of Trump and legal analysts wasted no time in pointing out the contradiction. One of whom was former federal prosecutor Renato Mariotti, who said either Trump or his lawyers are lying.
ALSO READ: 'Something I warned against': Ex-GOP governor says Trump RNC grift was totally predictable
"Tump now claims that he has almost $500 million in cash, but his lawyers recently told the appellate court that he has no means to post a $454 million bond. One of them is lying, and you can expect the court to ask Trump’s lawyers about this," Mariotti wrote in a post to X.
The New York Times' Maggie Haberman also commented on the contradiction.
"Trump here appears to be saying he has the cash for the bond his folks have indicated he doesn’t have and therefore dozens of companies turned him down (and that he planned to self-fund the campaign, which is also a new claim)," she wrote.
Legal analyst Norm Eisen pointed out that Trump's own words may come back to haunt him.
"This is so dumb — now he can’t claim hardship to get a stay," he wrote on X. "AG Tish James can help herself, including to this supposed money!"
While Trump is liable for $454 million, added interest is causing the amount he owes to increase by more than $111,000 a day.