Trump and Tish James clash in a Manhattan courtroom

Trump is back in court.

Letitia James walked into a Manhattan courthouse with a smile on her face to meet Donald Trump in person on Monday. New York's attorney general scored a huge victory last week in a civil lawsuit against the former president and his businesses alleging various financial crimes when Judge Arthur Engoron found that Trump committed fraud by inflating the value of his assets and decided to strip him of control of his flagship properties, including Trump Tower.

This may be why Trump, who entered the courtroom a few minutes later, looked angry. He walked past James, who sat among dozens of spectators, escorted by Secret Service agents, along with his attorneys, heading to the defense table in front of the Engoron, who would serve as judge and jury in the trial.

The closing statement of Kevin S. Wallace has repeatedly accused the defendants, including Trump's businesses, his children and longtime allies, of "with intent to commit fraud" when they allegedly told banks that the assets were worth far more than they actually were. Christopher Kise, a former Florida attorney general and member of Trump's legal team, delivered the defense's first closing statement, arguing that the various property appraisals are not unfair. "Buyers have obligations, sellers have obligations, none of them are wrong - they're just different," he said.

A Trump lawyer Alina Habba, who is defending some of the other defendants from Trump's inner circle in the suit, attempted to justify the valuation of Trump's "masterpieces," saying, for example, of Mar-a-Lago, "I assure you there are people who would buy this property, this magnificent property, for over $1 billion." She continued: "There was no intent to commit fraud here, period. "

When the trial was temporarily suspended for a lunch break, Trump reportedly glared angrily at James as he walked past her, leaving the courtroom. While their attorneys battled inside the courtroom, James and Trump squared off outside.

"My message is simple. No matter how powerful you are, no matter how much money you have, no one is above the law," James said in front of cameras before the hearing began, matching her campaign message that unabashedly hinted she would investigate Trump's finances.

Trump wasn't too subtle. In reiterating his call over the weekend for Judge Engoron's resignation, Trump suggested the judge could be "criminally charged" and called James, who is black, a "racist.

The court heard its first witness after the lunch break: Donald Bender, an accountant in the Trump Organization. He worked at the firm Mazars USA and previously drafted financial documents for Trump. His testimony is expected to continue Tuesday.

More than a year ago, James filed a lawsuit against Trump, his three older children and his company, the Trump Organization. The attorney general's office accused Trump of fraud by inflating the value of several of his landmark properties - including Mar-a-Lago and his penthouse at Trump Tower - by as much as $3.6 billion in order to get more favorable loan terms from banks. While the allegations against his eldest daughter Ivanka were eventually found to be elderly, Trump and his sons Donald Jr. and Eric are still under suspicion.

In the lawsuit, James seeks to permanently ban Trump, his children and his company from doing business in New York state, as well as fine them $250 million. In a prior ruling last week, Judge Engoron found that the attorney general's office had sufficiently proven that Trump was responsible for the fraud, and ordered that his family's business licenses be revoked and that the management of the businesses be turned over to independent individuals. It could mean that the heart of Trump's real estate empire, on which he built a half-century of fame and a successful campaign for president, no longer exists. Although Engoron ruled in favor of the attorney general last week, the trial will decide the prosecutor's remaining claims against the defendants, including forgery of business records and insurance fraud, and determine additional penalties.