"outfront" next, trump lashes out, taking the witness stand in his own fraud trial. "outfront" legal analyst ryan goodman is here. plus, strikes on gaza lighting up the sky tonight, while thousands of miles away, vladimir putin is embracing hamas despite his own citizens killed and kidnapped by the militant group. so what role is putin playing? and james carville is "outfront" even though his party wants to shut him up. how come? let's go "outfront." and good evening, i'm erin burnett. "outfront" tonight, showdown in court. trump versus the judge, the former president taking the stand for nearly four hours in his new york civil fraud trial today. going after the judge, losing his tim per. at one point the judge saying to trump's attorneys, quote, can you control your witness while judge said to the judge, it's a terrible thing you've done, you believe this political hack back there, and that's unfortunate. trump left the court tonight, though, projecting confidence. >> i think it went very well. i think you were there, you listened, see what scam this case that should've never been brought and should be dismissed immediately, the fraud was on behalf of the court. >> when trump did focus on the issue at hand, the issue at the core of this, he admitted about the financial documents at the center of this case. and i want to quote him because this is what he actually said today on the stand, i would look at them, i would see them, and i would maybe on occasion have some suggestions. it's very interesting that he would say such a thing because he could have said he had nothing to do with, and that would be consistent with what his son said. but he actually said that he offered suggestions. in fact, he appears to be saying exactly what michael cohen said to me after he testified in this trial. >> trump speaks like a mob boss. what he does is he says, you know, i'm actually not worth $5 billion, i'm worth six. why don't you guys go and figure it out. >> and you knew what that meant. what he said was, hey, michael, my net worth is 6 billion, go figure it out. >> he directed us in order to do it. the only way, of course, to do it is to increase the value of the assets in that statement of financial condition. >> amazing. trump seems to be saying all that is what happened. the big question tonight, of course, is what did trump do in that courtroom today? what did he accomplish and for whom? i mean, keep in mind, trump is not new to a witness stand stand. trump testified in court at least eight trials since 1986, and even in this courtroom, of course, trump has spent a lot of time in there. this was his eighth day attending this trial so far. so he's watched the judge, he's watched the prosecutors. god knows he watched the clerk. it is not clear whether his statements hurt him legally. paula reid is outside the courthouse. trump's team, of course, praising trump's performance. his attorney calling it brilliant. okay. cut to it. i mean, as you see it, and you've been reporting on this, you've been there. did he help his case? >> reporter: well, he might've helped his case in the court of public opinion with his supporters. he used his time on the witness stand to repeatedly attack the attorney general, to attack the judge, and insist that he was the target of political bias. but in his often long-winded answers, he provided a lot of information that will likely hurt his case. >> i think it went very well. >> reporter: former president donald trump leaving court after testifying in an attempt to defend his real estate business. >> it's a scam, and this is a case that should've never been brought. >> reporter: during nearly four hours on the stand, trump continuously clashed with judge arthur engeron. i'm sure the judge will rule against me because he always rules against me. the judge responding, you can attack me, you can do whatever you want, but answer the question. in another testy exchange, the judge had to instruct the defense attorney to control your client, adding, this is not a political rally. we are here to hear him answer questions, and most of the time he's not. the judge said, and then threatened to remove trump from the stand. on the financial statements at the heart of the case, trump said, i would look at them, i would see them and i would maybe, on occasion, have some suggestions. and on his role in preparing the statements, i accepted it, other people did it, but i didn't say make it higher or make it lower, he said. when asked if he maintained accurate records from august 2014 going forward, trump said, i hope so, i didn't keep them myself. trump was also questioned about the valuation of his assets, including his trump tower apartment, which financial statements show a more than $200 million value drop in one year. i thought the apartment was high, he said, adding, we changed it, and saying, different property assets were both high and low. trump has long claimed his florida mar-a-lago property was undervalued, saying today, it is worth 1 to $1.5 billion. >> the numbers are much greater than on the financial statement. >> reporter: but the judge cited a florida tax appraisal valuing the property at just $18 million in his decision finding trump his adult sons, and his company committed persistent and repeated fraud. in court, trump said, i thought mar-a-lago was very underestimated, but i didn't do anything about it. trump's conduct has become a flash point in this case. >> you have made racist attorney general, made some terrible statements. >> reporter: even before he took the stand, trump took aim at new york attorney general letitia james, later calling her a political hack in court. >> the only thing that matters are the facts and the numbers, and numbers, my friends, don't lie. >> reporter: and the courthouse behind me is closed tomorrow for election day. but then on wednesday, ivanka trump is expected to be called to the witness stand. now, she has tried several different ways of getting out of the appearance, but the court rejected all of those attempts. and while she's no longer a defendant in this case, she will be the third of trump's children to testify. erin? >> paula, thank you very much, outside that courthouse. i want to go now to erik larson, he was in the courtroom today, of course, as he's been so many days. he's a legal reporter for bloomberg news. ryan goodman also with us, the co-editor in chief of just security, former special counsel at the d.o.d. so, eric, take us inside that room. >> well, there was a lot of anticipation, of course, as trump was entering the courtroom. he was flanked by his lawyers and secret service. he walked very slowly, had a sullen look on his face. it's kind of hunched over as he got on the witness stand. and it started out fairly slowly, he was answering the questions succinctly. it went on like that for a few minutes. but then it kind of just went off the rails after that. i think it's safe to say, as was mentioned, the judge at one point threatened to throw him off the witness stand. so, once that happens, you've got this problem going on with the witness. the defense team was asked by the judge maybe you need to take some time and talk about how to keep trump in line with the rules, and his lawyer said, you know, he's the former president of the united states, maybe the future president. he knows how the rules work, and the judge shot back, well, he's not following them. so, it got pretty tense. >> and, as paula was describing it, long and ramble, he was talking. >> right, that is what got the judge a little upset. and, actually, the attorney general's office apparently decided at some point to let him continue to give these rambling answers. because about halfway through the day, they stopped trying to stop him, and just let him finish his train of thought, for the most part. and, at one point, the lawyer for the attorney general said that it was actually helping their case to hear all of this additional commentary from trump. so, we'll see where that goes. >> and, to that point, i would see them and i would maybe on occasion have some suggestions. i mean, it's almost like he sounds like michael co -- that's in one of those instances, of course, where he was filling the air. so what does it all amount to? >> the prosecutors are getting a lot of what they want. he's saying things that he's definitely kind of boasting about his knowledge of the assets, which is not a good thing at a certain level because he's also saying that he does in fact tell his subordinates whether or not to increase or decrease the valuation of some of the assets because he thinks some of them were too high. at the end of the day, which maybe he's getting tired in a certain sense because they actually start to ask him, well, are you signing these documents in order to induce the banks to give you these loans. and the answer was affirmatively. to get that as the answer is basically what they need, which is about his intent, his knowledge and his purpose. >> right. and that he actually did it. you put your name on there. so, interestingly, trump's attorneys did not cross-and him today. how come? >> the idea is that when the defense starts its case on monday, we're going to have a whole new set of witnesses. they decided to hold off examining him until they're able to ask him the direct questions as part of the defense case. so they will be able to present friendlier questions, questions that put him in a better light. then it will be up to the state to do the cross-examination. but for now, this keeps him off the stand a little bit longer, make it's go a little faster. >> i'm just looking at when we were talking with his attorney. i'm thinking back to mr. jackson when he said, you know, he could live to a hundred. but, you know, questions along the lines of that. >> exactly. they will be able to ask him, for example, detailed questions about his business acumen and all of the -- i think at one point he said that he was planning on bringing in trophies and plaques that he had received from banks from the great deals that they had done with him. not exactly sure what he was referring to there. >> i think i actually know. i have some of those from -- you know, at the end of the deal, you get a little plaque, and it says you are part of a deal. they're not awards. they're just a statement that the deal happened and that there were banks in charge -- i'm sure lawyers get them, the bankers get them, they're not prizes. but i bet you that's what he's talking about. so, ryan, trump did a lot of attacking judge a.g. we heard some of the reporting there. at one point trump brought up the judge's decision before the trial started, you know, that the judge had found trump liable for fraud, that this has already been found. this is not a jury trial, this is a damages trial to be determined by the judge. trump said the judge called me a fraud, and the judge responded, read my opinion, perhaps, or, for the first time. because it was all very much laid out there. it was based upon numbers. trump says, i think the fraud is on the court, not on me. could trump's sparring, though, with the judge have helped him? >> it could have. i don't think it ended up helping him. i think he might've even been strategic in trying to goad the judge into overstepping his judicial responsibilities, and he came kind of close. if the judge had in fact said, end of story, i don't want you to be a witness anymore, i'm just going to make an adverse finding against you, then it would've maybe had something to go on as an appeal. or if the judge had actually said he would not even entertain the motion for a mistrial, that would have been overstepping it. and he seemed to be emotional on his own end as the judge that might've worked to his favor but it didn't seem to materialize. >> and there was a mistrial. how did that play out, mistrial motion? >> right. the defense said that on thursday they will make a motion for a mistrial based on this argument that the judge's principal law clerk who sits next to him during the trial has been inappropriate and biased and they have some various allegations. i think they may be planning on making against her at one point, trump's lawyer alina habba complained of rolling eyes. and passing notes, which the judge said was totally okay to receive from his law clerk during the trial. suggested that they're going to make her central to their motion for a mistrial, which, you know, is not uncommon after a trial wraps up. but they're usually long-shot attempts and i'm not sure how this one will play out. but it should be interesting. >> long shot at best. >> yeah. i'm not sure what audience they're playing to. but i wouldn't hang anything on that if i were trump. >> thank you both very much. and, next, trump questioned about his infamous pent house in trump tower. this is one of the crucial assets that had been at one point inflated by several hundred million dollars. did he vastly inflate that value? the former trump white house aide is next. and vladimir putin siding with hamas. russia hosting the group's leaders in moscow even as they have killed and kidnapped russians. so, what is putin doing? plus, an exclusive dispatch from our journalist ibrahim dahman. you know him, and now he's just out of gaza with his two young sons and his pregnant wife, but hehe'll tell y you whyhy he stis nonot feel safafe. breaking news. former president donald trump fiercely defending his business and his wealth as he testified in the new york fraud trial threatening his real estate empire. he said his net worth, quote, far greater than the $2.5 billion he was required to maintain to keep his loans. trump also took time boasting about his real estate portfolio including about his golf course in scotland. he said i think it's the greatest golf course ever built. well, the judge was not amused with trump's answer on that. he called it rambling and repetitive. four hours on the stand. "outfront" now, omarosa manigault newman, she was a contestant on "the apprentice," went on to serve in the trump white house and work on his 2016 campaign. you have known him there for, in many stages, of his career and his shift from business person to president. so, trump clashed with the judge repeatedly today. you heard eric who was in the room describing it. obviously, you know trump well. do you think that that -- as eric described it, started off, you know, fine short answers and then very quickly turned into something very confrontational, very long answers. do you think this was deliberate, it was a strategy on trump's part? or do you think possibly just lose his sort of control and temper? >> erin, thanks for having me. i have known donald for almost 20 years and i can tell you that that was not strategy. it's simply this. donald trump can't help himself. even facing this huge, huge fine, possibly $250 million, he cannot help himself. and, so, the folks who are saying that this was strategic, it's not strategy. donald trump is frustrated and he's ticked off, and he's lashing out. that's what you're seeing in the courtroom. >> so, okay, he acknowledged on the stand today, and this was very interesting, i thought, that he did play a role in documents stating the value of his properties, didn't need to do that, it wasn't actually something specific, but he did, and he came out and said that. he said he was probably involved in changing the value of his penthouse property on fifth avenue, which, of course, the new york attorney general says financial statements provided by the trump organization show that that value changed f$80 million in 2011 to $327.04 years later, obviously, an incredible surge. so, you've been there in that actual apartment, apartment, whatever you might call it, penthouse. do you have any doubt that trump himself was involved in the valuing of that asset? >> well, we have to take donald at his own words. if he says he helped funnel those numbers, then he certainly did. but when we listened to michael co-hen, who walked us through this process starting when he was testifying in front of congress and then of course when he was just on the stand there, they knew that donald trump wanted to appear wealthier than he was, more fluent, and he wanted to stay on the "forbes" list. so he was willing to do whatever he needed to do. donald trump can't help him. if they just let him keep talking, donald will dig a hole for himself and that's certainly what he did today on stand. >> it's interesting that penthouse we were just looking at footage of you inside and others during your time on "the apprentice." but trump had tried to say, oh, well part of the reason that the value changed from 80 to 327 million, that he actually changed the square footage, that that's what the attorney general says that the square footage changed from 10,000 to 30,000 square feet. i mean, a tripling in your estimated square footage. >> it's absolutely impossible. you'll recall that we actually lived in trump tower while shooting "the apprentice." and it's very difficult to adjust or make or enlarge the space in there, although when you watch this on television, it looks larger than what it is. i've been in that penthouse. i will tell you the only thing he could do is take over the fourth or fifth floor below him. i don't believe that donald trump even believed what he was saying. and, so, it is certainly fraud. >> so, when trump was asked about the 2021 financial statements that judge engoron has specifically deemed fraudulent, he testified, quote, i was so busy in the white house, my threshold was china, russia, and keeping our country safe. of course, in 2021, he did leave office. and these are the 2021 financial statements. based on your experience snt trump white house, what do you think of that defense? >> i think it's the weakest defense he could asserted. you will recall that donald trump, because of his lack of attention span, we had to create this thing called executive time, which means that we gave him blocks of time, hours of time, 2000 two, three hours so that he could go up in the residence and watch television or, you know, play on toys or, you know, fudge numbers. i don't know. but donald trump had ample amount of time to communicate with those who were still in charge of his business. he did so quite frequently. his sons would come visit the white house. donald trump to assert that he was so incredibly busy when he absolutely hated his briefings, he hated his central meetings and he hated the role of presidency. he just liked the stature but not the responsibilities. that defense is weak and it will fail. >> you mentioned his sons, you know them. and of course you know ivanka trump as well. they all appeared on "the apprentice" and the campaign trail. ivanka trump is expected to be the next and last witness to be called in this trial. she will be called on wednesday. she is not a defendant but that is only because of the statute of limitations. so, do you think that donald trump should be worried about her testimony or not? >> i think he should be kind of concerned. she is very much like him. i think her testimony i'm most interested in because she is very strategic in terms of rehabbing her image, trying to get back into civilized society and trying to make her way back into hollywood. ex so the things that she says could impact her in the circles she used to run in. she will certainly plead the fifth over and over again. but when it comes to saving her skin, she's very much like her dad. i don't doubt she'll throw him under the bus just as quickly he will throw her under the bus, that's just how this family is wired. and, next, the breaking news -- we've got some new strikes in gaza just caught on our cameras to show you here what's happening there. tragedy continues. it comes as vladimir