Donald Trump's niece believes his $354.9 million fine marks the "end" of his family's "legacy".
Mary Trump, the billionaire businessman's estranged niece, has taken to social media after Trump, 77, was handed an eye-watering fine and banned from running businesses in New York for three years, after he was found to have exaggerated his personal wealth by a court.
Mary - who is the daughter of Linda Clapp and Fred Trump Jr, the son of real-estate developer Fred Trump, Donald's father - wrote on X: "Judge Engoron has just ordered Donald to pay a staggering $350 million+ in penalties in his fraud case and he rules that Donald can't do real estate business in the state for three years.
"It’s the end of my grandfather’s legacy.
"My reaction? Today is an emotional day.
"It has taken over half a century but Donald's ability to commit fraud with impunity has come to an end—at least in New York—and trust me, that matters to him."
Mary believes the former US President will be devastated by the court's decision, which was announced on Friday (16.02.24) by Judge Arthur Engoron.
She wrote on the micro-blogging platform: "Today is an emotional day, but one thing is certain: the Engoron decision is absolutely devastating for Donald."
Meanwhile, Trump's legal team has already announced plans to launch an appeal against the decision.
Alina Habba, Trump's lawyer, said in a statement: "Given the grave stakes, we trust that the Appellate Division will overturn this egregious verdict and end this relentless persecution against my clients.
"Let me make one thing perfectly clear: this is not just about Donald Trump - if this decision stands, it will serve as a signal to every single American that New York is no longer open for business."
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