'Can’t take the heat': Manhattan Judge Arthur Engoron trolled for criticizing Trump family attorneys who accused him of bias in business fraud case

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron reprimanded Trump family attorneys on Thursday, February 8, for repeatedly accusing him of bias in the ongoing business fraud case against former president Donald Trump.

The judge's remarks came amid heightened anticipation for his verdict, expected later this month.

Judge Engoron reprimanded Trump's family attorneys

In a scathing rebuke, Engoron addressed attorney Cliff Robert, representing Trump's two eldest sons, for questioning his impartiality yet again in a letter to the court earlier this week.

“You and your co-counsel have been questioning my impartiality since the early days of this case, presumably because I sometimes rule against your clients,” Engoron wrote in the Thursday filing. “That whole approach is getting old.”

The judge's response was triggered by Robert's objections to Engoron's consideration of a New York Times report suggesting that former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg may have lied on the stand. Engoron had requested responses from both Trump's legal team and prosecutors regarding the potential impact of this revelation on his ruling.

Robert's claim that Engoron's actions cast doubt on the court's impartiality prompted the judge to clarify his stance via email, asserting his responsibility to address any potential perjury in the case.

Engoron told Robert that he didn’t want to start “a wide-ranging debate with counsel,” but felt obliged to respond to the attorney’s “misleading response.” “I am not reopening the case, but if someone pleads guilty to committing perjury in a case over which I am presiding, I want to know about it,” the judge wrote.

In response to Engoron’s email, Robert said in a statement Thursday, “I have always acted responsibly and will continue to properly advance my clients’ interests.”

Trump's attorney Alina Habba, along with prosecutors from New York Attorney General Letitia James' office, echoed Robert's sentiment, urging Engoron not to let the Weisselberg report influence his decision.

Christopher Kise, another lawyer representing Trump, urged Engoron to focus on the facts of the case and disregard "manufactured news stories." Kise added, “Let’s also hope [District Attorney] Alvin Bragg decides to focus on NYPD officers being assaulted in Times Square instead of chasing down a grandfather over some manufactured claim of perjury.”

Engoron's letter did not provide a timeline for his impending decision in James' case against Trump and his family members. Throughout the trial, James' office has alleged that Trump inflated his wealth over a decade to secure better loan and insurance terms, seeking penalties of at least $370 million against the former president.

Trump, 77, has consistently denounced the case as a politically motivated attack against him, targeting Engoron and James for what he perceives as unfair treatment, the New York Post reported. 

Social media reactions

Social media was inundated with reactions, with many mocking Engoron for complaining about the "biased" accusations.

"Then don’t be biased," one posted on X.

"Can’t take the heat," another wrote.

"He literally is biased though So it doesn’t matter if it gets old, it’s true," a comment read.

"The entire world knows that Arthur Engoron is a biased political hack. He should be impeached and deported," someone else added.

"Truth hurts," another offered.

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