Donald Trump Praises 'Shark Tank' Star For Vowing To Not Invest In 'Loser' State NY Over $355M Fine

Donald Trump, who was recently hit with a hefty fine of $355 million after his New York fraud trial, has found a friend in "Shark Tank" star Kevin O'Leary.

In a recent interview, O'Leary condemned the costly verdict, claiming that he is "shocked" and can not "understand or fathom the decision." He argued that Judge Arthur Engoron's decision affects not just Trump but every investor in "loser state" New York.

For his part, Trump praised O'Leary's comments, claiming that "businesses will flee NYC."

O'Leary is just one of many who have voiced displeasure at the outcome of Trump's fraud case, brought against him by New York Attorney General Letitia James. On February 16, the politician was ordered to pay a fine of $355 million and also barred from doing business in New York for the next three years.

During an interview with Fox Business, O'Leary blasted the court's decision and described New York as a "loser state" he would never invest in again.

"This award, I mean, just leaving the whole Trump thing out of it and seeing what occurred here … And I'm no different than any other investor, I'm shocked at this," O'Leary told the news outlet. "I can't even understand or fathom the decision at all. There's no rationale for it."

The 69-year-old chairman of O'Leary Ventures added that New York "was already on the top of the list of being a loser state. I would never invest in New York now. And I'm not the only person saying that."

He cited the state's high taxes and policy among the reasons why he no longer intends to do business there. O'Leary also claimed that businesses in New York are choosing to move to other states, such as Florida and Texas.

"So, they've got lots of work to do to find themselves getting out of this situation. This has all occurred post-pandemic … winner states versus loser states," the businessman noted.

Agreeing with O'Leary's comments, Trump took to his social media platform, Truth Social, to commend the "Shark Tank" star, calling him "great."

He said, "Kevin O'Leary is so great, and tells it like it is. Businesses will flee NYC & State after the Corrupt Judge's ruling!"

During his chat with Fox Business, O'Leary was asked for his thoughts on New York Governor Kathy Hochul's statement, assuring business owners that there was "nothing to worry about" after Trump's costly verdict.

"We're very worried, every investor is worried because where is the victim? Who lost the money? This is some arbitrary decision a judge made," O'Leary said. "This policy … what does this say about the bar? About the legal bar in New York? Aren't they going to question this judge? What is this?"

He added, "I'm sorry her words fall on deaf ears to everybody. There's nothing she can say to justify this decision. And this has nothing to do with Trump, nothing to do with Trump. Forget about Trump. This is not a Trump situation, this is a New York problem."

Shortly after he was fined $355 million for his fraud trial, Trump addressed his supporters in a video, where he called the court's decision "election interference" and claimed that it was a "witch hunt" orchestrated by President Joe Biden and the DOJ.

"A crooked New York State just ruled that I have to pay a fine of $355 million for having built a perfect company. Great cash, great buildings, great everything," Trump said in a video recorded from his home in Mar-a-Lago.

The 77-year-old described AG Letitia James as "corrupt" and said that she campaigned on the fact that "I will get Trump, I will get Trump."

The billionaire also claimed that this kind of verdict has never been made in American history and that such only happens in "banana republics."

He said, "This is Russia, this is China, this is the same game. It all comes out of the DOJ; it all comes out of Biden. It is a witch hunt against his political opponent, the likes of which our country has never seen before. You see it in third-world countries, banana republics, but you don't see it here."

Amid the politician's legal woes, his MAGA fans have rallied around him to help him raise the $355 million he needs to pay his fine.

Shortly after the court made its decision, Elena Cardone, wife of multi-millionaire real estate mogul Grant Cardone, created a GoFundMe page, calling on MAGA "patriots" to stand with Trump.

"This is more than a legal fund; it's a clarion call to all patriots to rally in defense of a man who has never hesitated to stand in defense of us," Elena wrote on the GoFundMe page.

She added, "It's about showing that when one of us is targeted for championing the values that make America great, he does not stand alone. We stand with him, shoulder to shoulder, ready to support, defend, and fight back against a system that threatens to undermine the very foundations of our republic."

So far, the page has raised $678,000 from nearly 13,000 donations and doesn't seem to be slowing down any time soon. Trump himself has yet to comment on the existence of the GoFundMe fundraiser, which was created on his behalf.