BREAKING: Engoron drops the hammer

Why it will drive Trump crazy.

Judge Engoron’s decision is in… Head below for what it all means. ⬇️

In a landmark decision on Friday, New York Judge Arthur Engoron ordered Donald Trump to pay $355 million, a vast sum even for the billionaire businessman and one that makes his financial life significantly less comfortable even as he prepares to secure the 2024 Republican presidential nominee.

Here’s what this means to me — as a longtime journalist and close watcher of Trump.

Nothing — and I mean NOTHING — matters more to Trump than money. He has always defined himself through his personal wealth. It is at the CORE of his personal identity and the story he tells himself (and others) of his success.

And, from the start, he’s put it at the center of his political persona.

“Part of the beauty of me is that I am very rich,” he said in 2011, when he was considering a run for president in 2012. (Trump also said in that interview that he would put $600 million of his own money into the race. Which is, uh, ridiculous.)

When he did finally announce for president in 2015, Trump couldn’t resist mentioning his wealth. “I’m really rich,” he said.

I say all of this to make clear that this judgment strikes at the heart of that self definition. It is a direct blow to Trump’s ego as well as to his bottom line.

Paying the piper

There’s more here to think about too. And it’s this: Accountability.

Trump is someone who has rarely — if ever — been held accountable for his actions. When his companies failed, he declared bankruptcy and took advantage of the laws in place to shield his wealth. When he was accused of sexual assault by more than a dozen women in the run-up to the 2016 election, he promised that he would be suing them all for defamation. (He never sued a single one.) When he lost the 2020 election, he convinced his rabid followers that he had, in fact, won — and acted like a victor rather than a defeated incumbent.

The man has lived in a consequence-free zone for a very long time. Which has convinced him that he can get away with anything. Whether it’s how he treats women or his attempted overthrow of a free and fair election using the power of the federal bureaucracy, he lives in a world in which he does what he wants and, somehow, skates free. (The same cannot be said for his many minions — most notably Rudy Giuliani — who have found out the hard way that being close to Trump is bad bad bad for their wellbeing.)

In this ruling — and the massive financial penalty Trump will be forced to pay — there is accountability. The message that Judge Engoron sent is that, no, Donald Trump is not special. Donald Trump is not entitled to different treatment than other people under the law. Donald Trump cannot game the system for decades and not pay some price. Justice is blind.

That matters. No, it’s not going to hand the election to Joe Biden. And, no, Trump’s loyal base isn’t going to suddenly decide that Nikki Haley should be the Republican presidential nominee.

But, this judgment makes clear that no one — even someone rich — is above the law. And it hits Trump where it hurts him the most: The wallet. Trust me, he’ll feel it.

One last thing: Don’t underestimate how much of a distraction this has been — and could be — to Trump as he continues to run for president. Feeling a cash crunch — in public no less — will drive Trump crazy. And to distraction.

This all comes, of course, as Trump’s legal calendar continues to fill up. He faces four indictments and 91 criminal counts across a variety of jurisdictions. It’s not yet clear whether any of those cases will produce a verdict before the November election but there is NO question that they will tie up Trump through the spring, summer and fall as he simultaneously seeks to win back the White House.

And I will be here to update you on it all.

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