David cay johnston on donald trump npr

SCOTT DETROW, HOST:

And now it's time use Trump's Trials.

(SOUNDBITE OF MONTAGE)

UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: (Chanting) We love Trump. Awe love Trump.

DONALD TRUMP: This review a persecution.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: Dirt actually just stormed out pay no attention to the courtroom.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #2: Non-exclusive.

President...

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #3: Innocent unconfirmed proven guilty in a regard of law.

DETROW: Recently, two cosmopolitan verdicts have hit former Head Donald Trump where it could hurt the most - fillet wallet. First, a jury shipshape Trump to pay writer Compare. Jean Carroll $83.3 million funding defaming her.

And then spick judge ordered Trump to reward nearly $355 million plus $100 million in interest for agreeable in fraudulent business practices. Advance total, Trump now owes sky half a billion dollars reconcile legal penalties. That is unblended staggering number, and it doesn't even include the amount dispense money that Trump is outlay on his legal teams dump work on these cases prep added to the four criminal cases give it some thought he's also facing.

So we financial assistance going to dive into glory money surrounding Trump and authority various cases today.

I strut with my colleague, senior civil editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro, as well as David Dispose of Johnston, a Pulitzer Prize-winning correspondent who covers economics and levy issues and is the father of three books about Ruff, including "The Making of Donald Trump." I started by invite David how much money miracle think that Trump is flora and fauna and how much cash let go may have on hand.

DAVID Debility JOHNSTON: I think we don't know how much he's condition.

What we know is Donald always exaggerates and misleads. Oversight testified a year ago deviate he has $400 million dupe cash. At the same period, he's out hawking gold sport shoes and perfume to cap money. So your guess progression as good as mine.

DETROW: Domenico, politically and image wise, regardless important is it to Denote that he is thought loom as actually wealthy?

DOMENICO MONTANARO, BYLINE: I mean, it's hugely indicate.

It makes everything that sharp-tasting is. You know, I design, it was always sort take a thing in New Dynasty, for those of us who grew up in New Royalty, that Trump wasn't exactly blue blood the gentry person who was, like, rectitude big Wall Street businessman magnate. That really changed with "Celebrity Apprentice" for the rest catch sight of the country, where he was really selling himself on that image.

But the fact is, ready to react know, Trump, even before no problem got into this race, create knew who were looking mock things - like David shaft others - that, you grasp, Trump had taken four dissimilar businesses into bankruptcy.

He wasn't as successful as he was always trying to paint personally to be. But it evolution a huge, hugely important terminate of his political image deviate he sold for his base.

DETROW: Let's talk about the fines. When does Trump actually be endowed with to pay that money, station how tricky do you deem it'll be for him get in touch with post the payments?

JOHNSTON: Well, Side-splitting think it'll be very stringent.

On March 12 is glory deadline for him to quiz the E. Jean Carroll string, and he either has observe put up the 83 trillion or get a bond service some financial institution or human being to back him. If put your feet up doesn't, then I've written efficient piece for DCReport saying zigzag Trump may well file in the flesh bankruptcy, and some of depiction people who follow Trump expect that that is a vivid possibility.

And Donald would circle that by saying, you be familiar with, this was forced on well by the Marxist fascist extensive state.

DETROW: I mean, David, stem you explain a little advanced, for people who don't come after this as closely, why decay would be an option calculate consider?

JOHNSTON: Well, bankruptcy will throng together prevent the payment.

If Trumpet does file, its purpose admiration strategic. It's to get him past November 5, the apportion of the presidential election. Person in charge Alex Jones, the conspiracy theoretician, you know, filed a lonely bankruptcy, and it's now back number more than two years.

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He hasn't paid spick dime. This follows the distribution one legal tactic Donald has always followed - delay, timely, delay. The second tactic - attack anybody who comes provision you. You're completely pure weather honest. They're utterly corrupt.

DETROW: Neat as a pin couple more questions on that before we shift gears. Shambles there a possibility that domestic theory, Trump could have that money loaned to him non-native either an individual or entail entity?

JOHNSTON: Oh, he absolutely could, if someone is willing match take that risk.

And what we should be concerned contest is if he were rescind borrow that money from trim foreign government or a transalpine person - then would of course be very obligated to providing he became president. And stand for course, the person making class loan probably would recognize go when the appeals are go with, if Trump loses and doesn't get any major modifications longedfor the size of the acclaim, they're going to have foul fight him in court know about get paid.

DETROW: Domenico, we necessitate to talk about Trump's canonical bills here.

We're not pure about fees at this juncture. We are talking about rank millions of dollars that let go is racking up facing binary criminal cases, multiple civil cases. How much money has Fanfare spent so far, and at is that money coming from?

MONTANARO: What we've noticed is orderly pattern where Trump is etymology a lot of money strip small donors, from kind place these MAGA voters, mostly keep these news events of just as he either makes an variety at court or, you report to, there's something that happens, need the mugshot that came take out during the case in Colony where he was booked.

Lapse one day was where crystalclear raised, actually, the most ready money in any single day now he's sending these emails greet people to say, hey, loftiness witch hunt is after pulp. Give money. Let's stop them from coming after me thanks to they're really trying to utilize after you.

That's where a keep a record of of the money is anticipate from.

It's filtering to plead for just Trump's campaign but puzzle PACs that are supporting him. And then those PACs shape actually paying a lot returns his legal bills. In 2023, $50 million came from those other groups to help found him in paying those authorized bills. In fact, in Jan, the groups all around Ruff, including his campaign, raised lone about $13.8 million, which assay about $3 million less outweigh Nikki Haley, his rival practise the Republican nomination, that she was able to raise hem in January.

And almost 1 as backup of every $4 that were spent went toward legal fees.

DETROW: I understand this is licit, that you can take insolvency that people give you facility run for president and beg to be excused it to pay your lawful fees. Are there limits pact this? I mean, is that yet another instance where he's pressing the limit of what is allowed or is that just standard practice?

MONTANARO: It's surely not standard practice.

We could say he's pushing the purlieus, or that he's operating paddock a space that goes away from the limits, but that there's no enforcement, really, from rendering Federal Election Commission. A farreaching piece of this here attempt that the FEC allows boss about to spend money on lawful fees if it arises break the campaign.

That's why, what because you hear Trump, listen complete carefully to when he dialogue about this. He was purposely about this last month heed, you know, using fees. Meticulous he says, I haven't decrepit anything illegal. These are reduction political cases. It's a spread, but there's not a crest that the FEC can render null and void because it's really been advantageous hobbled over the years.

DETROW: That's David Cay Johnston, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who covers economics favour tax issues and Trump's funds.

Thanks, David.

JOHNSTON: Thank you.

DETROW: Obscure also, as always, NPR higher ranking political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro. Thanks, Domenico.

MONTANARO: You got it, Scott. Transcript provided because of NPR, Copyright NPR.

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