The latest news from the E. Jean Carroll defamation trial:
- Writer E. Jean Carroll testified in the second damages trial against former President Donald Trump, who was found to have sexually abused and defamed her last year, with a jury awarding her $5 million in damages.
- Carroll testified that her life was upended after then-President Trump accused her of fabricating her allegations in 2019 that he sexually assaulted her in a Manhattan department store in the mid-1990s. Trump continued to attack Carroll's credibility after the verdict in May, prompting her to seek additional damages in the current trial.
- Judge Lewis Kaplan threatened to throw Trump out of the trial after he fumed during Carroll's testimony. He also repeatedly admonished Trump's lawyer, Alina Habba, for breaking protocol.
Former president calls presiding judge 'radical Trump hater' as he leaves courthouse
Trump attacked the presiding judge in the Carroll case, calling him “a radical Trump hater” as he left the courthouse Wednesday evening.
“He’s a nasty judge. He’s a Trump hating guy. And it’s obvious to everybody in the court. It’s a disgrace, frankly, what’s happening,” Trump said in brief remarks before he departs for New Hampshire.
The former president, who also criticized the judge on his Truth Social website during the trial, also suggested that the trial was “rigged” and “election interference,” and he accused Carroll of destroying evidence in the case.
“This is a person I have no idea until this happened, obviously, I have no idea who she was. And nor could I care less,” Trump said, suggesting without evidence that the judge was “protecting her.
Trial adjourns for the day
The trial has adjourned for the day. Proceedings will resume tomorrow at 9:30 a.m.
Carroll says she came forward because she 'wanted people to know a woman can speak up'
Shortly before the trial adjourned for the day, Carroll spoke about her desire for women to speak up and score victories at trial.
"I wanted people to know a woman can speak up and win in trial," Carroll said, adding that women have been made to keep quiet for a long time.
"I don’t want to be quiet," Carroll said. "I’m 80. It’s not right to make women quiet. It has been going on for too long."
'Don’t even start': Judge cuts off Habba's questioning about Carroll's gun ownership
Things got heated in the courtroom when Habba pushed Carroll on her gun ownership and whether she was aware she needed a permit for it.
Kaplan interrupted her line of questioning by saying, "Don't even start."
Habba says she wants a mistrial after grilling Carroll about deleting messages containing death threats
Habba grilled Carroll about deleting messages she received that contained death threats. Trump's attorney asked Carroll if she currently possesses all of the messages that related to death threats and Carroll said that she deleted them early on because she said she had no idea how to deal with them.
Habba questioned why Carroll didn't provide the messages to anyone, including the police or lawyers.
She then asked for a mistrial based on the deleted messages, which Kaplan denied.
Kaplan scolds Habba as trial goes on break
During Habba's cross-examination, Kaplan admonished her for reading a document that wasn't in evidence.
Kaplan said the court was going to break until 3:30 p.m. and he told Habba that during that time, she might want to refresh her memory about how to enter a document into evidence.
Kaplan appears frustrated with Trump attorney Alina Habba again
Kaplan appeared to be frustrated with Habba again after she asked Carroll about a previous deposition, which he didn't have a copy of.
“We are going to do it my way in the courtroom, and that is all there is to it," Kaplan said.
Habba cross-examining Carroll
Habba is cross-examining Carroll now. She begins by asking her about Montana, where she lived with her first husband before moving to New York.
Trump is watching his lawyer's questioning with anticipation.
Trump turns away from Carroll as she returns to witness stand
Trump is in his seat and again he looks in the other direction as Carroll enters the courtroom and takes the witness stand.
Trump attacks judge on Truth Social after judge threatens to throw him out of court
After the judge threatened to remove Trump from the courtroom, the former president railed against Kaplan on his Truth Social account.
"I feel an obligation to be at every moment of this ridiculous trial because we have a seething and hostile Clinton-appointed Judge, Lewis Kaplan, who suffers from a major case of Trump Derangement Syndrome," he wrote.
Trump said that the judge was reported to be "extraordinarily hostile" toward him in the first trial involving him and Carroll.
"I should have gone, if for no other reason than to witness and speak up against the abuse carried out by this Judge," Trump said, who also complained that the judge wouldn't delay the trial, which the former president is not obligated to attend, for Melania Trump's mother's funeral on Thursday.