Judge Engoron has continued to interrupt the former president, imploring him to refrain from lengthy responses as Trump has remained calm and measured while attacking the judge and making political pronouncements.

"I beseech you to control him," Engoron barked at Trump's attorney, Christopher Kise. "If you can't, I will."

Kise has attempted to argue that Trump is entitled to answer questions in his own way.

"This is a situation where you have on the stand a candidate for president of the United States. Being here takes away from that effort," Kise said. "The court needs to hear what he has to say about these statements."

"No, I am not here to hear what he has to say," Engoron shot back.

When Trump attorney Alina Habba attempted to weigh in, Engoron raised his voice, telling her, "Sit down already! Sit down."

After a moment's pause, Trump weighed in with a measured tone.

"This is a very unfair trial," Trump said. "I hope the public is watching."

"Mr. Kise -- can you control your client? This is not a political rally. This is a courtroom," Judge Engoron told Trump attorney Chris Kise following a politically charged answer from the former president. He added, "Maybe you should have a talk with him right now."

State attorney Kevin Wallace then restated his question, and Trump responded briefly. Within minutes, Engoron grew frustrated again.

"Stricken, stricken, stricken," the judge shouted from the bench.

Asked by State attorney Kevin Wallace about his 2014 statement of financial condition, Trump took a swipe at Judge Engoron.

"First of all, it's so long ago -- this is well beyond the statute of limitations," Trump said. "But I'm sure the judge will rule against me because he always rules against me."

Engoron, who had already directed Trump to answer concisely and avoid lengthy narrative responses, stepped in, addressing Trump's attorney Christopher Kise.

"Mr. Kise, was that relevant to the narrative?" he asked.

"This is an unusual situation and an unusual trial," Kise replied. "I think it's fair for the court to hear his position. I certainly think it's fair for the American people to hear his position."

"The comment that I always rule against him ... certainly didn't answer the question," Engoron said. "You can attack me -- you can do whatever you want. Please just answer the questions."

Less than 10 minutes into his direct examination, Donald Trump took an opportunity to criticize the investigations and prosecutions that have dogged his life after the presidency.

"You and every other Democratic district attorney, AG, U.S. Attorney were coming after me from 15 different sides. All Democrats, all Trump haters," Trump said unprompted.

State attorney Kevin Wallace attempted to begin his direct examination by asking Trump his revocable trust -- the mechanism that Trump used to prevent business conflicts during his presidency.

"I thought there may be a conflict of interest, so I formed the trust," Trump said, describing his son and trustee Donald Trump Jr. as "a hard working boy, young man."

Asked about former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg, who also was a trustee, Trump spoke highly of his former employee, who later pleaded guilty to tax evasion.

"He did a good job, he was very good at what he did," Trump said. "We really liked him for a long time.'

Trump said that he briefly resumed control of his trust in 2021 before returning control back to Donald Trump Jr. so he could return to politics.

"He was impressive in business, as was Eric. I thought that I would do that while I continue en route to politics," Trump said before decrying the political motivation of his multiple criminal cases.

Judge Arthur Engoron has already advised Trump to limit the length of his answers.

"I would like things to move along a little faster. Please answer the questions, no speeches," Engoron said.

Court was adjourned for the day following an afternoon in which Judge Engoron appeared to shoot down one of the defense's main remaining arguments following defense attorneys' request for a directed verdict.

Defense lawyer Chris Kise argued that the state failed to prove that Trump's lenders would have acted differently had they known about the fraud alleged by the New York attorney general -- but Engoron said "the mere fact that the lenders were happy doesn't mean the statute wasn't violated."

Earlier this month, during testimony from the defense's first expert witness Steven Witkoff, Trump's lawyers attempted to argue that Trump had undervalued some of his properties, which balanced out the alleged inflated properties in his statement of financial condition. Engoron, however, declined to allow testimony related to that argument, saying, "The reader of the financial statement has the right to know whether each particular number was accurate."

That same day, Trump's lawyers also presented testimony from expert witness Jason Flemmons that Trump disclosed that the values of nearly 95% of the assets in his financial statements departed from generally accepted accounting practices.

"It's effectively saying, 'User beware,'" Flemmons said.

But Engoron said Flemmons only addressed the methods used in the statements, rather than the numbers themselves, which could have been incorrect.

Defense attorneys are scheduled to call additional witnesses over the next week before Eric Trump and Donald Trump return to the stand as the defense wraps up its case in the next two weeks.