NEW YORK CITY – Former United States President Donald Trump testified briefly on Thursday in a defamation trial brought by writer E Jean Carroll. However, due to strict restrictions on what he could say, his time on the stand was limited. Trump, who has already been found guilty of defaming Carroll, was under specific rules during his testimony.
During his brief appearance, Trump affirmed that he stands by his deposition given in 2022, in which he vehemently denied Carroll’s sexual assault allegations and referred to her as a “whack job.” The judge removed other comments Trump made from the record as they violated the agreed-upon restrictions.
Trump has been pushing the boundaries of the courts in his various legal battles, which have become entwined with his re-election campaign. This strategy not only keeps his political base engaged but also garners extensive media coverage as he aims to secure the Republican presidential nomination.
In a related civil trial last year, a jury found Trump responsible for sexually assaulting Carroll in the 1990s and ordered him to pay her around $5 million. The same jury also found him liable for defamation after he referred to Carroll’s accusations as false. Despite the jury’s verdict, Trump continues to deny the assault publicly.
The current defamation trial focuses on separate defamatory comments that Trump made about Carroll in 2019 while he was in the White House. The jury will determine the amount of damages that Trump must pay. Closing arguments for the trial are set to take place on Friday, with a ruling expected shortly afterward.
During Trump’s testimony, he faced severe limitations on what he could discuss. The judge and lawyers spent more time debating the topics Trump would be allowed to address compared to the actual duration of his testimony. The judge made it clear that the facts of the case had already been established during the previous trial, and the only remaining issue was the amount of money Trump must pay Carroll.
Trump’s ongoing denial of Carroll’s allegations, despite the court’s findings, led to his strict limitations during the testimony. If he had deviated from the outlined rules, he potentially could have faced significant fines or perjury charges.
Ronnell Andersen Jones, a law professor at the University of Utah, noted a stark contrast between Trump’s courtroom strategies and his approaches on the campaign trail. While Trump and his lawyers want to convince the jury that his White House comments do not demonstrate malicious intent, Jones argued that the ongoing evidence of Trump spreading lies outside the courtroom could make this a challenging task.
The defamation trial will resume on Friday, with closing arguments scheduled to begin. It remains unclear whether Trump will be in attendance.