Donald Trump is back in court this week, this time standing trial for defamation in yet another civil case brought by writer E. Jean Carroll. But the way things are going, Trump might soon be barred from the courtroom.
Carroll spent Tuesday morning testifying in the case. During a break, one of her lawyers complained that Trump could be heard making statements calling the trial a “witch hunt” and “a con job” loud enough for the jury to hear.
According to the New York Times, “Judge Lewis A. Kaplan, who sparred all morning with Mr. Trump’s lawyer, Alina Habba, over her objections to Ms. Carroll’s testimony, appeared to be losing his patience.”
Kaplan and Trump then got into a direct back-and-forth. The Times writes:
“Mr. Trump has a right to be present here,” Judge Kaplan said. “That right can be forfeited and it can be forfeited if he is disruptive, which is what has been reported to me, and if he disregards court orders.”
He then directly addressed the former president.
“Mr. Trump, I hope I don’t have to consider excluding you from the trial,” he said.
Mr. Trump, who had spent most of the morning shaking his head during Ms. Carroll’s testimony, threw up his hands.
“I would love it,” he said.
Kaplan replied: “I understand you’re probably very eager for me to do that because you just can’t control yourself.”
Last year, Donald Trump was found liable for both sexually abusing Carroll in the ’90s and for defaming her when she spoke out about it more recently. The jury awarded Carroll $5 million in damages but Trump refused to stop attacking her—and Kaplan—online and directly to the press.
Trump was already found liable for defamation (again) and the current trial is to decide what further damages he owes to Carroll. Trump is not actually required to be present during the trial but he’s choosing to be there in person. The reasons for that decision are unknown but it seems most likely that he’s using the ordeal to bolster his favorite ridiculous narrative: that he is being perpetually persecuted by powerful, vengeful liberals.
Convincing his supporters that he’s under constant attack from liberals and other perceived enemies is distressingly effective in getting their votes and their money. If Judge Kaplan does eject him from the courtroom, no matter how warranted, there’s no way Trump wouldn’t point to it as evidence of a “rigged” trial. He’d be able to fundraise off of that grievance for months. Which, if we’re being real, may have been his goal from the start.
(featured image: Stephanie Keith/Getty Images)
