Donald Trump’s lawyer clashed with the judge at his New York defamation trial as the court heard evidence from E Jean Carroll, whom the former president has been found liable of sexually assaulting.
Mr Trump’s lawyer Alina Habba objected to an answer from Ms Carroll, drawing a sharp rebuke from Judge Lewis Kaplan, who told Ms Habba that “when you speak in this courtroom or any courtroom in this building you’ll stand up,” CNN reported.
Mr Trump, who is not required to attend the civil trial, was in court for the second day as he seeks to use multiple legal cases against him to galvanize supporters ahead of the New Hampshire primary and his 2024 election campaign.
According to US media reports, Ms Carroll told the hearing she was in court “to stop him from telling lies about me”.
Ms Carroll, 80, is seeking more than $10 million (€9.2 million) alleging that Mr Trump defamed her in 2019 when he was president and she had just come out with her assault allegation, saying she “is not my type”.
“It means I’m too ugly to assault,” Ms Carroll told the court today.
Asked about how the comment damaged her reputation, Ms Carroll said “previously I was known simply as a journalist, and now I’m known as a liar, a fraud, and a whack job” – quoting insults levelled at her by Trump.
CNN reported that Mr Trump shook his head when Ms Carroll accused him of assaulting her, and talked with his attorneys while she testified – with Ms Carroll’s lawyers complaining to the judge.
It is separate to a case last year where another New York jury found Mr Trump liable for sexually assaulting Ms Carroll in a department store dressing room in 1996 and subsequently defaming her in 2022, when he called her a “complete con job”.
Mr Trump is attending the trial while also campaigning ahead for the New Hampshire primary next week, as he is set to become the Republican candidate in the November election against President Joe Biden.
