Former President Trump after his day in court Wednesday accused the presiding judge of making rulings against him because the judge is an appointee of former President Clinton.
Trump made headlines throughout the day as he attended a trial proceeding that will determine how much he owes writer E. Jean Carroll for defaming her after she alleged he raped her.
U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan at one point threatened to remove Trump from the courtroom, arguing he was being disruptive.
Trump after the proceeding went on camera to lash out at Kaplan, who he had already criticized on social media.
“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. It’s a disgrace. Happens to be a Clinton appointment, but I’m sure that has nothing to do with it,” Trump said with sarcasm.
Trump has argued the trial proceeding should have been delayed to allow him to attend a funeral for former first lady Melania Trump’s mother.
Trump’s attorney had requested “a one-week adjournment” of the trial so the former president could travel with his family and attend the funeral Wednesday and Thursday, according to court documents. Kaplan denied the request but said in a memorandum issued Sunday that Trump was “free to attend the funeral, the trial or both.”
He also noted that Trump’s legal team informed the court “three days after the announcement of the death of Mrs. Trump’s mother and the day before the defendant’s request” that he would attend the trial.
“What happened very terribly is we asked to just delay the trial for one day so I could go to the funeral tomorrow, and then we could start Friday or Monday or any time they want. Then he said, ‘Absolutely not. The trial will go on just as it is. You can go to the funeral, or you can go to the trial, but you can’t do both,’” Trump said, speaking of Kaplan.
“So he would rather have you missed the funeral, or go to the funeral, or miss the trial. And that’s a nasty man. He’s a nasty judge. He’s a Trump hating guy,” Trump added.
Kaplan said in the memorandum that if Trump’s defense team is done presenting their case Thursday except his testimony, the court will pause the trial until the following Monday to allow Trump to attend the funeral.
Trump’s trial over defamation damages sought by Carroll began Tuesday. Carroll is seeking at least $10 million in damages for Trump’s denials when she came forward publicly in 2019 with allegations that he sexually assaulted her in a department store dressing room in 1996.
In the days leading up to the trial and since it has started, Trump has hurled insults at Kaplan over his denial of Trump’s request to delay the trial.
Comments from Trump during the proceedings Wednesday led Kaplan to threaten to have Trump tossed out of the courtroom.
The attorney for Carroll suggested in a letter to Kaplan last week that Trump’s legal team misrepresented the former president’s need to delay the trial. Carroll’s attorney said Trump’s team said he would be “traveling with family” on Wednesday, but Carroll’s attorney pointed out Trump would be in New Hampshire that night for a campaign event.
The funeral for Amalija Knavs is scheduled for Thursday in Florida. According to his campaign website, Trump has a campaign event scheduled in Portsmouth, N.H., on Wednesday.
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