Trump said that due to “hard work, talent, and luck” he had almost US$500 million in cash that he had planned to spend on his election campaign, adding the judge “knew this, (and) wanted to take it away from me”.
Trump Media is planning to go public by merging with shell company Digital World Acquisition Corporation.
A vote on Friday could approve the much-delayed merger and create a windfall for Trump – though the cash influx may be months away.
Trump built a public profile as a property developer and businessman in New York before entering politics.
Despite the real-estate mogul’s US$2.6 billion estimated net worth – and his own claims of having cash on hand – his lawyers say that it has been impossible to come up with the US$454 million bond, due on Monday.
Typically, such bonds would be underwritten by an insurer or specialised bond company.
But Trump’s lawyers say that after approaching 30 such companies, none will take the ex-president’s real-estate holdings as collateral.
Trump, facing 91 criminal counts in other cases, has seized on his legal woes to fire up supporters and denounce his opponent President Joe Biden, claiming that all the court cases are a political tactic to thwart his election chances.