Trump Lasts Three Minutes
Donald Trump took the witness stand in his own defense in the defamation trial brought by writer E. Jean Carroll, whom a jury determined last year had been sexually assaulted in a dressing room.
Two days after Donald Trump solidified his position as the front-runner for the Republican nomination with a win in New Hampshire, a jury entered a New York courtroom, and Donald Trump was called to testify on his own behalf. District Court Judge Lewis A. Kaplan had agreed earlier in the day to allow Trump to testify, but he restricted Trump’s answer to one issue: whether or not Donald Trump stood by his previous defamatory statements about E. Jean Carroll.
Ahead of Trump's testimony, with Trump present and while the jury was still outside the courtroom, Kaplan had reiterated that Trump "in fact sexually abused" Carroll. Donald Trump shook his head and audibly expressed his disgust from the defense table.
The task of getting Trump to the witness stand was one fraught with a back-and-forth struggle between a judge holding on to his last nerve and a defense attorney clinging to her rapidly fraying rope. While attorney Alina Habba and the judge were discussing the parameters of her client’s impending testimony, Trump interrupted to say “[he doesn't] know Carroll and has never met her.” As he has done many times before during this jury trial for damages, Judge Kaplan told Donald Trump to keep his voice down and reminded him that interruptions are not permitted.
Next, the judge explained that Donald Trump was not allowed to deny that he sexually assaulted E. Jean Carroll during his testimony. Habba confirmed that Trump would indeed deny the allegations. Judge Kaplan pressed Trump’s attorney on what could be expected of Trump in his testimony, and what he would say on the stand. Habba simply replied, “I can't say what he is going to say."
Judge Kaplan explained that Habba was only permitted to ask Trump about his actions in the aftermath of the allegations, not the substance of them. The judge asked Trump’s attorney what questions she planned to ask Trump on the stand. Habba responded that she intended to ask Trump if he stood by his testimony, whether he made the statements in question in response to Carroll’s accusations, and whether he ever instructed anyone to hurt Carroll.
While the judge was laying out the restrictions for Trump’s testimony, E. Jean Carroll's attorney, Shawn Crowley, argued that Donald Trump’s behavior was already indicative that he intended to violate the rules. "Mr. Trump said under his breath just behind us that he intends to say he doesn't know [my client] and never met her," Crowley said. Trump confirmed this accusation by loudly repeating the statement saying, "I don't know who the woman is. I never met this woman."
Judge Kaplan was forced to reprimand Trump once again for interrupting. Kaplan also warned Trump that he would not be permitted to offer any testimony that would dispute the jury determination in May of 2023, that he sexually assaulted Carroll and defamed her. Ultimately, the judge reminded the courtroom that a prior action cannot be re-litigated and “there are no do-overs.”
Donald Trump was sworn in to testify and asked if he stood by his deposition in this case, in which he repeatedly denied the allegations against him. Trump responded by saying"100%." Next Alina Habba asked her client if he ever instructed anyone to hurt Carroll and Trump sitting stone-faced in the witness box replied, "no.”
Habba asked Trump if he denied the allegations made by Carroll and he said he considered it a false allegation. This comment was stricken from the record and the judge again reminded Donald Trump that he was not permitted to re-litigate the allegations. “I just wanted to defend myself, my family, and frankly the presidency,” said Trump.
Cross-examination was next conducted by E. Jean Carroll's attorney, who asked only a few questions. Crowely presented several new pieces of evidence, including footage of a deposition from a separate civil fraud case in which Donald Trump bragged about having $400 million in cash. Donald Trump also claimed his "brand" is worth billions of dollars. Carroll's legal team also showed some of Trump’s deposition footage from this case, when he insisted everything he has said about Carroll was true.
Alina Habba rested her case after Trump's testimony, and as he quickly left the courtroom in the afternoon, he could be heard saying, "It's not America. Not America. This is not America." Ultimately, Donald Trump answered only a handful of questions and then left the stand, but not before he made another lasting impression on the jury. Closing arguments will resume Friday morning.
Amee Vanderpool writes the SHERO Newsletter, is an attorney, published author, contributor to newspapers and magazines, and an analyst for BBC radio. She can be reached at avanderpool@gmail.com or follow her on Twitter @girlsreallyrule.
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I read this so I am being hypocritical.
How is this creep still getting covered as he lies and lies and lies again, ignores judge instructions, and generally behaves in a courtroom like a meth addict?
I never believed him when he said he'd go away if he lost the election. He never lost the election - in his mind - so he's still here.
Does anyone else feel like they have been slimed in sh*t and cannot wash it off going on eight years now?
That he continues to receive the cult-like devotion of millions of Americans is beyond me.