Three things we learned from Ivanka Trump’s trial testimony

Ivanka Trump spent five hours on the witness stand Wednesday, two days after her father testified in a fraud trial that threatens his business empire as he makes another bid for the White House.

Mrs. Trump was the last Trump family member to testify at the trial, which stems from a lawsuit filed by New York Attorney General Letitia James. Ms. James has accused the former president and other defendants, including his companies and his sons Donald Jr. and Eric, accused of inflating the value of assets to obtain favorable loans and insurance deals.

The judge, Arthur F. Engoron, ruled before the trial began five weeks ago that Mr. Trump and the other defendants were liable for fraud. He will decide Mr. Trump’s punishment. Ms. James has asked that Mr. Trump pay $250 million and that he and his sons be permanently barred from running a business in New York.

Mr Trump has denied wrongdoing. His lawyers have argued that the assets had no objective value and that different valuations are common in real estate.

Here are three things we learned during Wednesday’s testimony:

Wealth guaranteed

Mrs. Trump was presented with documents reflecting her involvement in obtaining favorable loans for the Trump Organization, which required guarantees over her father’s assets.

But she also tried to distance herself from her father’s annual accounts. She testified that she did not know what appraisals were in the documents. At one point, Mrs. Trump said of her father, “I assume he would have personal financial statements,” but quickly added, “Those weren’t things I was aware of.”

She also testified that she has not been involved with the Trump Organization since Mr. Trump entered the White House. But she spoke highly of the work she did while employed at the family business, saying she was “incredibly proud” and that it “overachieved on all counts”.

Smooth and sunny

Mrs. Trump was a more pleasant presence in the courtroom than her father, who had sat in the same chair two days earlier.

Mrs. Trump was calm and collected. At times, her testimony resembled a brochure, as she touted the Trump Organization’s assets with terms like “historic redevelopments” and “super-luxury hotel.”

At times, Mrs. Trump appeared frustrated by the repetition of questions from the attorney general’s attorney, Louis Solomon. But she smiled instead of frowning.

After court, Ms. James called Ms. Trump “very, very nice” and “very friendly,” but added, “Ultimately, this case is about fraudulent statements about the financial condition from which she benefited.”

Tempers battle

Judge Engoron had an easier day maintaining control of his courtroom compared to Monday’s fireworks when Mr. Trump was on the stand.

But toward the end of the day, he began to lose patience as lawyers jockeyed for positions. He called a question from Jesus Suarez, one of Trump’s lawyers, “ridiculous.”

He also reacted strongly after an insinuation from another Trump lawyer that the judge ruled in favor of the attorney general more often than Mr. Trump: “You could try to assume that’s because of bias, or you could try Understand that I think their objections were of greater merit than yours.’

What comes next

After Mrs. Trump’s testimony ended, the attorney general’s office rested its case.

Starting Monday, Trump’s lawyers will present a defense in which they are expected to recall many witnesses who have already testified and call their own experts. Trump’s lawyers expect the trial to conclude on December 15, a week earlier than expected.