In a pivotal moment of the civil defamation trial involving former President Donald Trump and E. Jean Carroll, the defense rested after Trump briefly took the stand and answered questions from his attorney, Alina Habba. Judge Lewis Kaplan dismissed the jurors, scheduling their return for Friday morning to hear closing arguments, anticipating that deliberations might commence by lunchtime.
During his testimony, Trump staunchly stood by his denial of E. Jean Carroll’s sexual assault accusation. When questioned by Habba about his deposition testimony, Trump asserted, “100% yes,” affirming his commitment to the denial. Asked whether he denied the allegation because Carroll made an accusation, Trump responded, “That’s exactly right. Yes, I did,” leading Judge Kaplan to strike everything said after the acknowledgment of denial.
In the final moments of Trump’s testimony, Habba inquired if he had ever instructed anyone to harm Carroll in his statements. Trump asserted, “No, I just wanted to defend myself, my family, and frankly, the presidency.”
The courtroom atmosphere intensified as Trump faced admonishment from Judge Kaplan for interrupting Habba during the questioning. Trump’s interruption, asserting he never met Carroll, prompted the judge to reprimand him for disrupting proceedings.
In an extraordinary development, Trump took the stand in his own defense at the civil defamation trial. However, the judge imposed restrictions, prohibiting statements that Trump didn’t assault Carroll or that she lied about the rape allegation, as these issues are not part of the jury’s consideration.
Habba informed the court that Trump’s testimony would be brief, and discussions were underway to determine the content of his statements and the questions he would answer.
Amidst the legal proceedings, a friend of Carroll, Carol Martin, testified about her concerns for Carroll’s safety, particularly during the 2020 election, revealing that Carroll had mentioned receiving “a bit” of death threats.
Martin also expressed apprehension about being involved in a lawsuit against Trump, citing a perceived “dangerous” political climate in the United States. She clarified that her texts about Carroll were motivated by concerns for her friend, especially as Carroll contemplated filing a second lawsuit against Trump.
As the trial broke for lunch, it remained uncertain whether Trump would testify again in the afternoon. The trial is marked by the tense interactions during Trump’s testimony, the judge’s admonishments, and the emotional testimony from Carroll’s friend about the perceived risks associated with the legal proceedings.
