Former president Donald Trump dramatically took the witness stand immediately and advised a court docket he had by no means met E. Jean Carroll, the author who accuses him of sexually attacking her in a division retailer within the Nineteen Nineties.
From the witness stand Trump advised a civil jury he needed to defend himself and ‘the presidency’ by calling out accusations that had been ‘completely false’.
Before giving proof the previous president was rebuked by the choose for talking too loudly from his seat, and the choose then repeatedly minimize him off on the stand.
As he left court docket Trump stated: ‘This will not be America. Not America. This will not be America.’
Former U.S. President Donald Trump watches footage of himself giving a video deposition through the second civil trial the place Carroll accused former U.S. President Donald Trump of raping her a long time in the past, at Manhattan Federal Court in New York City, U.S., January 25, 2024
E. Jean Carroll walks exterior Manhattan Federal Court, for the second civil trial with Donald Trump in New York City, U.S., January 25, 2024
He was on the stand for 3 minutes as his lawyer Alina Habba requested him a brief sequence of questions.
Trump has already been discovered responsible for sexually abusing Carroll in a earlier civil trial final 12 months, which he didn’t attend.
As he was set to offer proof on Thursday in Manhattan, Trump turned to Habba and stated loudly: ‘I don’t know who the lady (Carroll) is. I by no means met this lady.’
That led to the rebuke from U.S. District Court Judge Lewis A. Kaplan.
‘I’m sorry, Mr Trump, you are interrupting these proceedings by speaking loudly whereas your legal professional is speaking and that isn’t permitted,’ the choose stated.
After Trump took the stand Habba requested if he noticed the allegation as false.
‘Yes I did,’ Trump stated. ‘She stated one thing that I thought-about a false accusation, completely false.’
Judge Kaplan then interrupted Trump, saying: ‘Everything after “yes I did” is stricken (from the report).’
Habba requested Trump if he had made the statements to harm Carroll.
The former president stated: ‘No, I simply needed to defend myself, my household and admittedly the presidency.’
Former US President Donald Trump waves as he departs for his sexual assault defamation trial in New York on January 25, 2024. Trump’s trial resumes on Thursday, two days after the Republican primaries in New Hampshire
In this courtroom sketch, Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024, Donald Trump and his legal professional watch video of his deposition, introduced previous to the protection resting, in Federal Court in New York
Trump has already been discovered responsible for sexually abusing Carroll in a earlier civil trial final 12 months, which he didn’t attend.
She is now searching for no less than $10 million in damages for defamation after Trump continued to publicly deny her allegations.
Trump is attempting to persuade this jury that he shouldn’t must pay Carroll something.
According to Carroll, 80, a former Elle journal recommendation columnist, Trump attacked her within the mid-Nineteen Nineties in a Bergdorf Goodman division retailer dressing room.
Trump, 77, has persistently denied wrongdoing, claiming he didn’t know Carroll, and accusing her of constructing up the allegation to spice up gross sales of her memoir.
Earlier, U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan denied a request by Habba to dismiss the case after the lawyer argued Carroll had not confirmed it.
Before Trump took the stand Habba referred to as one other witness, Carol Martin, a retired tv journalist and good friend of Carroll.
Martin acknowledged that Carroll had assured her she didn’t have any main safety considerations as the general public realized about her claims about Trump.
The court docket heard that Martin had despatched textual content messages saying Carroll’s ‘narcissism had run amok’ and that her good friend was ‘like a drug addict and the drug is herself’.
Martin advised the court docket she regretted sending the messages and was ‘very sorry’.
Former Elle Editor-in-Chief Robbie Myers testifies on E. Jean Carroll behalf through the second civil trial the place Carroll accused former U.S. President Donald Trump of attacking her a long time in the past, at Manhattan Federal Court in New York City, U.S., January 25, 2024
That got here after Carroll’s attorneys referred to as their remaining witness, Robbie Myers, who was editor-in-chief of Elle journal from 2000 to 2017.
Myers told jurors that Carroll was a ‘truthteller’ together with her in style month-to-month recommendation column.
Carroll’s attorneys additionally displaying jurors clips of Trump on the marketing campaign path saying Carroll had concocted a ‘made up fabricated story’ about him.
There had been additionally clips from a filmed 2022 deposition wherein Trump referred to as her ‘a liar and a really sick individual.’
Further parts of the deposition confirmed the previous president denying understanding who Carroll was.
In one snippet performed to jurors Trump misidentified a picture of Carroll as his ex-wife Marla Maples.
Before Thursday’s proceedings started Trump stated, in a publish on his Truth Social social media community, that he was heading to New York City for ‘a trial primarily based on false accusations from maybe a long time in the past – The lady has no concept when!’
E. Jean Carroll walks exterior Manhattan Federal Court, for the second civil trial after she accused former U.S. President Donald Trump of raping her a long time in the past, in New York City, U.S., January 25, 2024
He added: ‘The federal choose on this second Biden political opponent ‘Trial’ is very hostile to me – Sadly, and I do not know why, a 100% Trump Hater. He is aware of I did nothing improper, however is seeking to do a quantity on me. Only in America!’
Trump stated in a follow-up publish: ‘THIS IS A WITCH HUNT CONCEIVED AND FUNDED BY POLITICAL OPERATIVES FOR PURPOSES OF ELECTION INTERFERENCE!!!’
He additionally claimed that Anderson Cooper and CNN have a tape that ‘completely exonerates’ him from Carroll’s claims.
DailyMail.com has contacted CNN for remark.
In a reside interview with Cooper on CNN in 2019 Carroll stated she thought ‘most individuals see rape as being horny.’
Cooper was questioning her concerning the incident and he or she stated: ‘I used to be not thrown on the bottom and ravished.
‘The phrase rape carries so many sexual connotations… this was not sexual.’
Cooper, showing bowled over, stated: ‘I believe most individuals consider rape as a violent assault. It will not be horny.’
‘I believe most individuals see rape as being horny,’ Carroll responded. ‘Think of the fantasies.’
Cooper then went to a industrial break.
E. Jean Carroll calls rape ‘horny’ throughout an interview with Anderson Cooper on CNN in 2019
Former U.S. President Donald Trump appears to be like on as former Elle Editor-in-Chief Robbie Myers testifies on E. Jean Carroll’s behalf
The civil trial has turn into a component of Trump’s third White House run, with the Republican frontrunner shuttling between the courtroom and marketing campaign stops, whereas criticizing Carroll, the choose and the judicial course of on-line and at press conferences.
Jurors final heard testimony every week in the past, earlier than the trial was delayed due to COVID-19 considerations referring to a juror and certainly one of Trump’s attorneys.
US District Judge Lewis Kaplan final week warned Trump to not use the courtroom to air political grievances, after certainly one of Carroll’s attorneys complained that jurors may need overheard Trump calling the case a ‘witch hunt’ and ‘con job.’
The choose has spent 29 years on the federal bench. He is thought for his no-nonsense strategy, and for expressing impatience with attorneys and witnesses who do not comply with his directions.
Kaplan may interrupt or shut down Trump’s testimony, or throw him out of the courtroom, if Trump continued in talking out of flip, or digressed from the problems the jury will take into account.
Trump Attorney Alina Habba (C) exterior the Trump Tower earlier than E. Jean Carroll’s defamation case in New York on January 25, 2024
E. Jean Carroll exterior Manhattan Federal Court the place she arrived earlier than Donald Trump on January 25, 2024
On January 11, when one other choose requested Trump if he may keep on with the information if allowed to offer a closing assertion within the New York legal professional basic’s civil fraud case in opposition to him, Trump responded by attacking the choose and proclaiming the case a politically impressed sham.
Carroll’s attorneys have warned that Trump would possibly attempt to ‘sow chaos’ if he testified, as a result of his defiance would possibly assist him politically.
Last May, one other jury ordered Trump to pay Carroll $5 million after he denied her rape declare in October 2022.
Kaplan, who has presided at each trials, has dominated that the primary trial established that Trump defamed and sexually abused Carroll.
The solely points for the 9 jurors within the present trial is how a lot cash Trump ought to pay Carroll, if any, for damaging her popularity – and the way a lot, if any, he ought to pay as punishment and to dissuade him from defaming her once more.
A damages knowledgeable testified on Carroll’s behalf that the harm to her popularity could possibly be as excessive as $12.1 million.
Trump’s authorized workforce has stated damages ought to be nominal or zero, and that Carroll has gained greater than no matter she may need misplaced by pursuing and gaining her newfound fame.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump gestures to his supporters exterior a Trump Tower within the Manhattan borough of New York City, U.S., January 25, 2024
Trump’s legal professional Alina Habba, who has been appearing for him within the case, leaves Trump Tower in New York
The case in New York comes simply days after Trump received the Republican main in New Hampshire, taking dwelling 54.3% of help, whereas his subsequent closest rival, Nikki Haley, took 43.3% – regardless of hoping to return inside single digits of the previous president.
Haley, 52, vowed to battle on to the subsequent race, in her dwelling state of South Carolina on February 24.
She remained defiant within the face of her loss on Tuesday, calling the primary main a ‘nice evening.’
‘New Hampshire is first within the nation. It will not be the final within the nation. This race is way from over. There are dozens of states left to go,’ she stated.