Trump posted text of the amendment which reads, “Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.”
On Tuesday afternoon, coming after a New York judge ruled that $354 million must be paid in a civil case against him, Donald Trump posted a screenshot of the 8th Amendment to Truth Social that forbids "excessive fines" for the punishment of crimes.
Text of the amendment in the Constitution's Bill of Rights reads, "Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted."
It was posted after Trump was fined over $350 million in the New York City case ruled against him. The ruling came down against Trump from New York Judge Arthur Engoron.
New York Attorney General Letitia James brought the case against Trump, claiming that he would have to pay $354 million in damages for fraud at his businesses in New York City.
According to an Associated Press analysis of cases similar to Trump, the fine and punishment for by the former president would be an anomaly among 70 years of case history.
Of the cases reviewed, only 12 amounted to similar levels of punishment and in all such cases there were victims who suffered losses from fraud. This is not the case with Trump’s business dealings related to the case.
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