Former President Trump hinted on Friday that he wouldn't use any potential money from the Truth Social merger to post bond in a New York fraud judgment by Monday.
Shareholders of Digital World Acquisition Corp. (DWAC) approved a merger Friday with Truth Social, a media startup owned by Trump, teeing up its stock market debut and a potential $3.5 billion windfall for the former president.
But Trump told Fox News Digital that he might not use the cash infusion to cover his bond owed in New York.
“That doesn’t mean I’m going to give money to a rogue and incompetent judge — the puppet of a corrupt attorney general who’s failing with violent crime and migrant crime and whose only purpose in life is attempting to get Trump,” Trump told the outlet, referring to Judge Arthur Engoron and New York Attorney General Letitia James.
Trump promised to continue fighting the case and even up to the U.S. Supreme Court if needed.
“They can’t take away your property before you’ve had a chance to appeal the decision of a Trump-hating, incompetent judge who has been overturned more than any judge in the state,” he said.
Trump has until Monday to secure a half billion-dollar bond or risk the seizure of his assets as he challenges a trial court’s finding that he conspired to alter his net worth for tax and insurance benefits.
Engoron found Trump liable for fraud last year ahead of a months-long trial that ended with the judge imposing a massive $464 million penalty on the Trump Organization.
Trump’s lawyers admitted Monday that despite the former president’s “diligent efforts,” it is “impossible” for him to secure a full appeals bond in that amount due to lack of cash on hand.
The former president, however, claimed in a Friday social media post that he had $500 million in cash but did not want to use it for the bond payment.
Former White House ethics head Norm Eisen called Trump’s post “dumb” in a post on X Friday, writing “now he can’t claim hardship to get a stay” and “James can help herself, including to this supposed money!”
