The former president made his appeal to New York’s Appellate Division, in the midst of a civil trial in the case that was brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James. In August, Judge Arthur Engoron ruled that the former president fraudulently inflated the value of his properties, including Mar-a-Lago, which the former president has vigorously denied in court this week.

The judge, who last year publicly described President Trump as “a bad guy,” also ordered the cancellation of certificates that let some of President Trump’s businesses, including the Trump Organization, operate in New York.

Ms. James, a Democrat, is seeking at least $250 million in damages. She also wants the former president banned from running businesses in New York, as well as a five-year commercial real estate ban for President Trump and the Trump Organization.

However, the former president, his sons Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr., and others filed a notice of appeal to the Appellate Division, which is the second highest court in New York state.

“This appeal is taken from each and every part of the Order insofar as Appellants are aggrieved,” the filing states.

On Oct. 3, Judge Engoron told the courtroom that he believes it’s likely that President Trump and the other co-defendants “strongly disagree on” parts of his ruling “and will appeal on this ground.”

“This trial is not an opportunity to relitigate what I have already decided. … that is why we have appeals,” the judge said.

The former president has notably appeared in court this week, often speaking to reporters outside the courtroom. On the morning of Oct. 4, he disputed the judge’s claims about his net worth and said “my real net worth is much higher than that, much higher than the statement.”

“This is just a continuation of the witch hunt that started the day I came down the escalator in Trump Tower,” the former president said, adding that the trial is the “beginning of communism in our country.”

Gag Order

On Oct. 3, Judge Engoron issued a partial gag order on President Trump and admonished him about a post that the former president had made on Truth Social about the judge’s clerk, Alison Greenfield.

“Personal attacks on members of my court staff are unacceptable and inappropriate. Consider this statement a gag order forbidding all parties from posting, emailing, or speaking publicly about any of my staff,” the judge said.

It came after President Trump posted a photo of Ms. Greenfield and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), asserting that she has strong connections to the longtime New York senator. The former president reportedly made the post, which was deleted on Oct. 3, while he was in the courtroom.

In a separate comment, he indicated to members of the media that he would testify during the trial “at the appropriate time.”

Before the trial’s start, Ms. James issued a statement that reiterated her civil case’s claims and alleged that President Trump “falsely inflated his net worth to enrich himself and cheat the system.”

“We won the foundation of our case last week and proved that his purported net worth has long been rooted in incredible fraud,” she said in the statement. “In this country, there are consequences for this type of persistent fraud, and we look forward to demonstrating the full extent of his fraud and illegality during trial.”

But some real estate professionals in a CNN article published on Oct. 4 questioned Judge Engoron’s ruling that the former president overvalued Mar-a-Lago. They said that he relied on information that real estate agents don’t often use.

“Appraisal values and market values are just not the same thing. It’s a well-known fact,” Eli Beracha, the chair of Florida International University’s Hollo School of Real Estate, told CNN.

“That’s especially true for properties that are unique. And it’s very easy to argue this is a unique property,” he said, referring to the Palm Beach, Florida, resort.

Other Details

The nonjury trial concerns six remaining claims in the lawsuit and how much President Trump might owe in penalties. The judge has already ruled that some of the former president’s companies should be dissolved as punishment.

The trial could last until December, Judge Engoron has said. President Trump has denied any wrongdoing.

The former president faces four criminal indictments in Florida, Washington, Georgia, and New York. He has pleaded not guilty in all of the cases.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

New York Attorney General Letitia James is apparently not a fan of Target shifting its position on its “Pride Month” merchandise—which included a “tuck-friendly” swimsuit for men who want to wear women’s suits, an LGBT-themed onesie, and items designed by a company known for its “Satan Respects Pronouns” pin.

In a move that would generally elicit frantic cries about the end of democracy, James, a Democrat, has decided that she and other elected officials, not Target’s customers or employees, should decide the retail giant’s marketing strategy.

“Target’s decision to pull some of its pride merchandise because of backlash from anti-LGBTQ+ customers is wrong,” tweeted James on Wednesday.

“Hatred and bigotry can’t win: New York elected officials and I are urging @Target to reverse its decision and stand up for #LGTBQ+ rights,” she added, saying that she and other elected officials had sent a letter.

.@Target's decision to pull some of its pride merchandise because of backlash from anti-LGBTQ+ customers is wrong.

Hatred and bigotry can't win: New York elected officials and I are urging @Target to reverse its decision and stand up for #LGTBQ+ rights.

— NY AG James (@NewYorkStateAG) June 14, 2023

How is this James’ or other New York elected officials’ business?

Before you bring up Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ war with Disney, remember this: Disney started that by speaking out against the Parental Rights in Education bill, legislation that had the audacity to limit what could be said about sexual orientation or gender identity among kids in kindergarten through third grade.

Target, as far as I know, has taken no positions on New York legislation. Nor did James cite any examples in her tweets.

No, this is just straight-up a politician trying to intimidate a private business because that private business isn’t acting the way the politician prefers.

And by using her government Twitter account and citing a letter signed by her and other “elected officials,” James is making no pretense of acting as a private citizen. No, she’s talking as one of the most powerful people in one of the most influential states in the U.S.

She’s also taking a move straight from the playbook of California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who tweeted earlier this year that “California won’t be doing business with @walgreens” after Walgreens announced it wouldn’t sell abortifacient drugs in some states.

California won't be doing business with @walgreens — or any company that cowers to the extremists and puts women's lives at risk.

We're done.https://t.co/OB10cYfm8H

— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) March 6, 2023

Three months later, Newsom’s threat appeared to be mostly bluster. California has now reportedly allowed Walgreens to bid for a major contract again. The state also continues to let Medicaid patients use Walgreens. (But don’t think Newsom had a change of heart. Apparently, it’s likely illegal to ban Medicaid patients from Walgreens.)

Walgreens’ move, mind you, came when 21 states’ attorney generals announced they didn’t think it was legal for pharmacy chains to sell abortifacient drugs in their states.

Still, though, Newsom clearly tried to use California’s economic muscle to force pharmacies in red states to uphold blue state’ values.

Again, democracy is not in fashion when it comes to people who don’t hold the “right” views.

That brings us to the real reason James (likely) is taking this completely inappropriate step: The Left is suddenly in real danger of losing the culture war.

Sure, leftists may have forced same-sex marriage on all 50 states in a 2015 Supreme Court decision that went against the votes of 31 states’ residents. Yes, they might be manipulating laws and regulations to promote the trans agenda, even at the expense of women’s safety and privacy. And yes, they may have captured the boardrooms, Big Tech, the universities, Hollywood, and so many more institutions.

But as the Bud Light boycott and the Target backlash shows, people are beginning to wake up—and realize they’re not alone.

In fact, there are a lot of Americans who have an issue with a man who “identifies” as a woman promoting womanhood. There are a lot of Americans who think that they shouldn’t have to explain to their kids when running errands what a “tuck-friendly” swimsuit is. There are a lot of Americans who think that teen girls shouldn’t have to risk their safety and compete against teen boys in girls’ sports, just because the boys want to say they’re now girls.

Bud Light is no longer the top-selling beer in the country. (Congratulations to Modelo Especial, which took the crown.) “Bud Light sales have been roughly 25% lower year-over-year in every single week since it partnered with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney for an Instagram post in early April,” reports CNN. Things are so dire that Bud Light is planning to “provide financial assistance to its wholesalers” and “reimburse fuel for distributors’ trucks,” CNN also reported.

Meanwhile, Target’s stock was at its lowest price in three years Wednesday. It got dinged by Bank of America, which “lowered its price objective from $180 to $145 while saying the reduction is a response to weakened peer multiples, decelerating traffic, and modest mobile app engagement,” reported Fox Business.

Other companies are no doubt taking note.

That’s what leftists like AG James can’t stand.

The Left doesn’t just accept losses. Whether it’s through an activist Supreme Court, lawmaking by bureaucrats, or other moves, the Left is always trying to find some way—no matter how absurdly unconstitutional it is—to get its objectives through.

So, James is trying something new, and effectively saying to Target, “shame if anything happened to that nice business you got.” Even more amazingly, this comes at a time when Target is reportedly getting bomb threats from someone who “accused Target of betraying the LGBTQ+ community,” per The Washington Post.

For once in recent years, the Left is losing a battle in the culture war. But instead of doubling down on their arguments for their views and making the case democratically, they’re resorting to thuggish intimidation.

Article cross-posted from Daily Signal.