Ms Trump repeatedly said she couldn’t recall when asked about details about particular loans, but emails showed her thanking Rosemary Vrablic, of the Private Wealth Management group of Deutsche Bank.
In one email about refinancing the Trump hotel in Chicago, Ms Vravlic offers a revised deal in which she cuts 0.25 per cent from the interest rates on some of the proposed loans.
Ms Trump replied: “You are the best Rosemary, thank you” and in another said: “Thanks Rosemary. We all appreciate it.”
Ms Trump was also shown a letter sent by the General Services Administration which asked for “clarification on several matters” about Mr Trump’s financial statements in relation to a bid for a lease on the Old Post Office in Washington DC.
Ms Trump recalled giving a presentation to the GSA for the proposal, but said she could not remember if his financial statements were brought up.
“Do you recall that meeting discussing Donald J. Trump financial statements in any way shape or form?” state lawyer Louis Solomon asked.
“No I don’t recall that,” she said.
Ms Trump said the December 2011 meeting was a big-picture presentation “bringing the project to life”.
Ms Trump also at times mimicked her father on occasion by gesticulating and going off on tangents about the Trump Organisation.
On two occasions Judge Arthur Engoron reminded Ms Trump the questions she was being asked required a simple “yes or no”.
But the pair appeared to get along. After Ms Trump left the room during legal discussions, Mr Engoron apologised for “leaving you in the dark”, to which Ms Trump laughed and said “that’s ok”.
During her cross-examination, Ms Trump showed her dedication to the family empire, recounting how she took an important call about when they were trying to acquire the Doral estate when she was about to give birth.
Describing the “very inconvenient timing” of the call, which was to confirm the company could be a stalking horse bidder, she said: “I think I may have been in the hospital, or about to go to the hospital with my first child. I may actually have been in the hospital.”
Ms Trump was dismissed on Wednesday afternoon. The attorney general has now rested its case after calling 25 witnesses.
Ms James described Ms Trump as “cordial”, “disciplined”, “controlled” and “courteous” but said her testimony “raises questions with regards to its credibility”.
Speaking outside court, she said Ms Trump had been “enriched” by the alleged fraudulent statements and “despite the fact that she was very, very nice, very friendly, the facts, basically, demonstrate the truth”.
Mr Trump’s team will begin its defence on Monday.
Emily Foster is a globe-trotting journalist based in the UK. Her articles offer readers a global perspective on international events, exploring complex geopolitical issues and providing a nuanced view of the world’s most pressing challenges.
