Former President Donald Trump said he attended the civil fraud trial against him that began Monday in New York so he could “watch this witch hunt myself.” 

Trump was not required to appear in court Monday for the trial against him, his eldest sons, their companies and Trump Organization executives. But he chose to attend and sit in the Manhattan courtroom – while giving multiple statements attacking the proceedings as he entered and exited. 

“I’ve been going through a witch hunt for years, but this is really now getting dirty between (special counsel) Jack Smith, and between all of these DOJ people helping them along,” Trump said. “This is a pure witch hunt for purposes of interfering with the elections of the United States of America. It’s totally illegal.”

He continued to rail against Arthur Engoron, the judge overseeing his civil trial, saying he should be disbarred after he ruled last week that Trump and his co-defendants were liable for fraud in the attorney general’s civil case.

This is a live play-by-play excerpt from CNN.