Donald Trump Jr. testifies in Trump civil fraud trial

When Donald Trump Jr. took the stand Wednesday afternoon, Assistant Attorney General Colleen Faherty spent her first hour of questions walking through the roles and responsibilities the former president’s son had at the Trump Organization and as a trustee to his father’s revocable trust formed when he entered the White House.

Faherty went through Trump Jr.’s progression through the Trump Organization since joining around 2001. He confirmed that he’s been an executive vice president at least since 2011.

Trump Jr. reported to his father until 2017, when Donald Trump took office, and he said former Trump Organization Chief Financial Officer Allen Weisselberg would’ve been more senior than him at least until 2013. 

Trump Jr. and his brother Eric were on equal levels at the company, he said, but stuck to their own “silos.” (Eric Trump is set to testify later this week.)

Trump Jr. said he didn’t know the particulars of Weisselberg’s exit but said the former CFO did not retire and it was related to “legal issues he got himself into.”

Trump’s oldest son also confirmed he was named a trustee on his father’s revocable trust after Trump took office. Weisselberg and Trump Jr. were appointed trustees in 2017. Weisselberg was removed as a trustee in 2021 upon his exit from the company.

Since leaving office in 2021 the former president has made some decisions at the company, his son said, but Trump Jr. testified he couldn’t pinpoint anything specific.

He said Eric Trump has not been a trustee of the trust and confirmed his brother has not had authority to make decisions on behalf of the trust.

“He would have had authority to make decisions within the Trump Organization,” Trump Jr. said, but not the trust. As a trustee, Trump Jr. said it was his responsibility to act in the best interest of the beneficiary, his father, and confirmed he managed the assets in the trust.

At one pointing in her questions, Faherty asked Trump Jr., “Are you familiar with the attorney general’s complaint in this case?”

“Vaguely, yes,” Trump Jr. said after a pause.