Can grill him

If Trump testifies, prosecutors can grill him about his recent losses in civil cases, judge rules

The ruling is a setback for the former president

BEN FEUERHERD

If Donald Trump takes the stand, prosecutors will be allowed to grill him under oath about several adverse rulings in his past civil cases, Justice Juan Merchan ruled this morning — a significant loss for the former president that will complicate his self-declared plan to testify in his own defense.

Prosecutors will be allowed to elicit testimony about Trump being found liable for fraudulently inflating his business assets in a suit brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James. They will also be allowed to question him about defamatory statements he made about writer E. Jean Carroll. In a civil case last year, a federal jury determined that Trump sexually abused Carroll in a department store in the 1990s, and in two civil cases, Trump was found liable for defaming Carroll.

Merchan also ruled that, if Trump testifies, prosecutors can ask him about fines he received for violating a gag order in the business fraud case when he verbally attacked the law clerk of the judge overseeing that case.

The ruling, which Merchan issued from the bench before the start of opening statements this morning, is a setback for the Trump team. Trump's lawyers had asked Merchan to rule that Trump's various recent losses in his civil cases should be off-limits if he takes the stand.

Trump shook his head as the judge read his ruling.