Defiant as ever, former President Donald Trump tried to lie during his testimony on Monday, but that backfired. Badly. He’d told prosecutors he was too “busy in the White House” to participate in preparing his 2021 financial statements. Even though he technically and on every other level, was no longer president, Newsweek reports.

But really, when has Trump EVER been concerned with the truth, let alone actual reality?

When he was asked on the stand whether he was involved in the 2021 valuations of his properties, Trump went on the defensive, telling prosecutor Kevin Wallace, “I was so busy in the White House. My threshold was China, Russia, and keeping our country safe.”

Wallace didn’t miss a beat and asked:

“Just to clarify, you weren’t president in 2021, correct?” Trump replied, “No, I wasn’t.”

Trump took the stand in the $250 million civil fraud trial in New York, following the testimonies of his two adult sons, who appeared as witnesses last week. Dear Old Dad, Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump, and the Trump Organization are co-defendants in the civil case brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James. She’s making every effort to bar the Trump family from ever running businesses in New York ever again.

Judge Arthur Engoron had earlier found Trump liable of “persistent and repeated” fraud before the trial began in October. Now the trial is concerning what penalties the Trump family will have to pay for the financial fraud and address the six other claims, which include falsifying business records, issuing false financial statements, insurance fraud, and conspiracy, per Newsweek.

Former federal prosecutor Michael McAuliffe pretty much nailed it when he called Trump’s comments placing him in the White House in 2021 “the perfect—example of Trump saying whatever he wants in the second as a retort.”

“It’s less about Trump being subject to perjury charges than the judge in the case simply concluding that Trump’s statements — all of them — aren’t credible,” McAuliffe told Newsweek. “It is entirely foreseeable that a judge or juror in the legal proceedings coming up will conclude the same.”

Unsurprisingly, Trump was combative on the stand, firing off rants against James and Engoron and being evasive when prosecutors asked questions.

He said James should “be ashamed of herself” for launching a “political witch hunt” against him while excoriating Engoron for his ruling prior to the trial, saying, “The fraud is on the court, not on me.”

Trump’s vituperativeness toward Engoron prompted the judge to admonish the ex-president repeatedly for his failure to respond to questioning, and even at one point to ask Trump’s attorneys,” I beseech you to control him if you can.”

It’s fun to watch Trump dig a bigger hole for himself while playing the victim. He’s certainly not currying favor with Judge Engoron or James and that’s quite likely to come back and bite him when it’s time for the judge to make his decision.