Ex-President Trump set himself up for ridicule when he trotted down to New York Attorney General Letitia James office and decided not to answer any of her questions (relating to the NY civil investigation into the Trump Organization’s many alleged shady deeds) and gold-blanketed himself by using the Fifth Amendment. This, of course, was only one of the two big Trump ouchies of the week (the other being the FBI raid on Mar-a-Lago that Trump brought upon himself by hoarding all of those McDonald’s wrappers boxes of documents). What was particularly telling about the NY AG story, though, was that Trump made a move that he claimed was reserved for people who were definitely criminally guilty.
As it turns out, Trump truly went to town with the Fifth Amendment thing. NBC News is reporting that he pulled that card literally hundreds of times. Over 400 times, actually. That is absolutely wild, and Trump apparently only knew the answer to one godforsaken question, and that’s probably only because he had to accurately provide his name or be held in contempt. Does that sound cynical? So does this:
The deposition lasted four hours, and the only question the former president answered was about his name, Trump attorney Ron Fischetti told NBC News.
A source with knowledge of the deposition said Trump took the Fifth more than 440 times.
It should be noted that Letitia James’ office wouldn’t elaborate upon “specific details” regarding the deposition but did confirm that Trump pleaded the “Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.” And Trump initially claimed that he only took the Fifth because he now knows why people do that: because he has “no choice” due to an “unfounded politically motivated Witch Hunt.” Always on brand, that guy.
(Via NBC News)