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Trump credits his “brand” for winning the presidency


New York Attorney General Letitia James’ office on Friday released a months-old video of former President Donald Trump speaking in a deposition for the civl fraud lawsuit filed against him.

During the video, Trump can be heard telling James and her staff that they “don’t have a case” against him, as well as saying his political success can be attributed to his well-known “brand.”

James has accused Trump, his adult sons and The Trump Organization of fraudulently overvaluing their assets to secure more favorable bank loans and taxation deals. The New York attorney general’s lawsuit originally sought $250 million in damages, but James increased this to $370 million, plus interest, in a court filing earlier this month. She argued the new amount reflected new evidence that had come to light during the trial.

The Associated Press reported the seven-hour deposition video—recorded behind closed doors on April 13, 2023—was released by James following requests from media outlets under New York’s Freedom of Information Law. Lawyers for the former president previously included a transcript from the decision in an August trial docket.

Donald Trump speaks in Iowa
Former President Donald Trump on Monday speaks at his caucus night event in Des Moines, Iowa. In a newly released video, Trump can be heard saying he became president because of his “brand.”
Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

During the deposition, Trump estimated his “brand” was worth “maybe $10 billion.”

He then called his “brand” the “most valuable asset I have” before seemingly crediting it for helping him win the White House.

“I became president because of the brand, OK,” Trump said. “I became president. I think it’s the hottest brand in the world.”

Newsweek reached out to a representative for Trump via email for comment on Friday night.

This is a breaking story and will be updated with further information.