Mr. Donald Trump personally "went to battle" to protect his reputation.

Mr. Trump wrote on the social networking platform Truth Social on October 1: "Tomorrow morning I will be going to court to fight for my name and reputation."

In the post, Mr. Trump lashed out at New York Attorney General Letitia James, who sued him, along with Judge Arthur Engoron, who presided over the non-jury trial and issued a ruling involving him last week.

Specifically, Judge Engoron ruled that Mr. Trump regularly deceived banks, insurance companies and others by overstating the value of assets on paper - which were used to make transactions and secure loans.

Ông Donald Trump có động thái lạ - Ảnh 1.

Former President Donald Trump will make a rare voluntary appearance in court on October 2. Photo: AP

The October 2 hearing was the culmination of a years-long investigation by Ms. James, who accused Mr. Trump and his company of routinely misrepresenting his assets in financial reports.

Ms James, a Democrat, is seeking a $250 million fine and a ban on doing business in New York in her lawsuit against Mr Trump.

Judge Engoron's ruling last week, if upheld after Mr. Trump's appeal, would also transfer control of some of Mr. Trump's companies to a court-appointed administrator.

The ruling could also force him to give up valuable New York assets such as Trump Tower, a Wall Street office building, golf courses and a suburban estate. Judge Engoron said the trial could last until December.

Trump’s appearance at the October 2 (local time) trial was a notable move compared to the past. According to the AP news agency, Trump had never been to court as a witness or a participant when his company and one of its top executives were convicted of tax fraud last year.

Former President Trump also failed to appear at his trial earlier this year when a jury found him guilty of sexually assaulting journalist E. Jean Carroll in the 1990s.

In another development, Attorney General Merrick Garland said in an interview aired on October 1 that he would resign if President Joe Biden asked him to take action against Mr. Trump. But Mr. Garland does not think he will be put in that situation.

"If necessary, I will resign. But that doesn't mean things like that will happen," he told CBS 's 60 Minutes.

However, Mr. Garland also rejected claims by Mr. Trump and his supporters that the lawsuits were designed to destroy his chances of becoming president in the 2024 election.

Mr. Garland emphasized that Justice Department prosecutors are nonpartisan and will not allow partisan thinking to influence them. Mr. Garland also affirmed that President Biden has never tried to interfere with the investigations of Mr. Trump.

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