Maggie Haberman Says Trump Legal Fees and Fraud Bond ‘A Big Issue’ — ‘Clearly A Problem’ Coming Up With Dough

New York Times correspondent and CNN analyst Maggie Haberman told anchor Kaitlan Collins that former President Donald Trump’s legal fees and bond requirements for civil appeals are “a big issue” that Trump “clearly has a problem” coming up with.

On Wednesday night’s edition of CNN’s The Source with Kaitlan Collins, Collins asked Haberman about Trump’s campaign cash problems, but then moved on to a different money crunch.

Trump has been trying to delay or reduce payment of the fraud judgment that could cost him in excess of $460 million if appeals are unsuccessful, as well as the $83.3 million judgment Trump owes for defaming E. Jean Carroll while he was president.

Collins asked Habermanm what she’s hearing about those payments and Trump’s mounting legal fees:

COLLINS: Trump is also having financial troubles, beyond the campaign, today asking the judge, who is overseeing the E. Jean Carroll case, to give him more time, a few extra days, to post that $83.3 million bond.

And I just wonder what you’ve heard from people inside his orbit? Because obviously $83.3 million is just a small portion of the ultimate total that he would have to pay, in addition to the $450 million that he has to post, when it comes to the civil fraud trial.

What are you hearing about the legal fees, and how that’s cutting into all of this?

HABERMAN: Well, look, the legal fees piece is a big issue. And as we know, that’s a different pot of money, which is the Save America money, the Political Action Committee, that President — former President Trump controls that he — money he started raising, while he was still president, during this period, where he was alleging falsely widespread fraud that had impacted the 2020 election, that he needed money to fight.

And he then stored this all on this Political Action Committee or much of it in the Political Action Committee. And it’s gone to pay a bunch of things, but among them, his lawyers and other people’s lawyers. So, that’s one piece.

Then there’s the bond piece that you’re talking about. And that is a separate issue. And there is clearly a problem so far in acquiring a bond. It doesn’t mean that they won’t get there. But I’m not sure what a couple of more days delay is going to do. And the judge has already said no, to a delay previously.

Trump ponied up $91.6 million for the Carroll bond but still hasn’t made the fraud bond.

Watch above via CNN’s The Source with Kaitlan Collins.