'I’m worth billions of dollars': Donald Trump lashes out at judge during civil fraud trial

The testy exchanges underscored Mr Trump’s unwillingness to adapt his famously freewheeling rhetorical style to a formal courtroom setting governed by rules of evidence and legal protocol.

Former President Donald Trump today gave evidence in his civil fraud trial (Brendan McDermid/Pool Photo via AP)

Former President Donald Trump defended his wealth and business on Monday, tangling from the witness stand with the judge overseeing his civil fraud trial and denouncing a lawsuit accusing him of dramatically inflating his net worth as a “political witch hunt”.

Mr Trump’s long-awaited testimony about property valuations and financial statements was punctuated by personal jabs at a judge he said was biased against him and at the state attorney general, whom he derided as a “political hack”.