Trump’s Sons Testify on Trump Org Finances in Fraud Trial

Former President Donald Trump’s eldest sons testified on Thursday in the 2024 GOP frontrunner’s $250 million New York civil fraud trial.

The Details: Donald Trump, Jr. and Eric Trump, co-defendants with their father, distanced themselves from the financial records involved in the case. The trial reportedly became “heated” when Judge Arthur Engoron chastised Trump attorney Chris Kise for an offhand remark about his clerk. The clerk had also been singled out by the former president, prompting Engoron to issue a $10,000 fine for violating a gag order. 

For Context: Trump’s two eldest sons took over day-to-day operations at the Trump Organization in 2017 when their father became president. Eric is slated to testify again on Friday, and Trump’s daughter, Ivanka, is scheduled to testify on Wednesday. 

‘Make Me Look Sexy’: As Trump Jr. finished his testimony, he reportedly told veteran courtroom sketch artist Jane Rosenberg to “make me look sexy.” The quote got its own article in both HuffPost (Left bias) and Washington Examiner (Lean Right bias).

How the Media Covered It: Despite the subject matter, most mainstream coverage appeared fairly similar, although left-rated outlets tended to feature the story more prominently. CNN (Lean Left bias) called Eric’s testimony “tense,” and the New York Post (Lean Right bias) called it “prickly.” However, a Townhall (Right bias) headline highlighted that Trump told the purportedly “progressive” judge to “leave my children alone,” thus framing the case as a partisan attack.