Judge Warns Trump: Behave or Be Booted from Defamation Trial, Reports Say

New York – Donald Trump was warned by a federal judge on Wednesday that he could be removed from the courtroom if he continued to make comments that the jury could hear during writer E. Jean Carroll’s second defamation case against him, according to multiple reports. This incident occurred on the second day of the trial while Carroll, a former magazine columnist, was giving her testimony. Trump was reportedly heard calling the case a “witch hunt” and dismissing it as a “con job,” which prompted the attorney for Carroll to raise a complaint.

U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan acknowledged that Trump has the right to be present for the proceedings but emphasized that this right could be forfeited if the former president became disruptive. Addressing Trump directly, Kaplan expressed his hope that he wouldn’t have to exclude him from the trial, suggesting that Trump might want him to do so. In response, Trump expressed his desire for exclusion.

In a social media post, Trump accused Kaplan of being “totally biased and hostile” and claimed that the case was an example of election interference. This case stems from Carroll’s accusation in 2019 that Trump had sexually assaulted her in the mid-1990s. Trump denied the assault and publicly called Carroll a liar, leading to the ongoing defamation trial.

Carroll, 80, testified during Wednesday’s proceedings, reflecting on her career as a journalist and how her reputation has been affected by being labeled a liar, a fraud, and a “whack job” due to Trump’s statements.

Last year, a jury found Trump liable for the assault and defamation, ordering him to pay Carroll $5 million. However, Trump appealed the decision. The ongoing defamation case aims to determine the amount he will be required to pay for the defamatory statements made in 2019.

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