Former President Trump said he would miss Thursday's E. Jean Carroll trial to attend his mother-in-law's funeral, and called the judge presiding over the case “terrible” for not delaying proceedings that day.
“As you know, the first lady's mother has passed away. The funeral is tomorrow,” Trump said Wednesday at a news conference in New York City after a day in court. “And we would have assumed that for a trial like this, timing-wise, it wasn't an emergency. The judge would be very kind and release me. Because I Because I saw what happened and I want to be there for every trial day.''At the first trial, I was told by my lawyer not to go much. The lawyer said it was humiliating, there was no evidence, there was nothing. So I didn't go. And I understood exactly what he meant. It was humiliating. There's no reason to go, and you shouldn't go. ”
Trump said he would “work all day” because “the judge absolutely hates Trump.”
“So something very bad happened because we asked them to delay the trial just one day so we could go to the funeral tomorrow and then start the trial on Friday or Monday or whenever they wanted. '' Trump explained. “And he said absolutely not, the trial would continue as is.”
Trump said the judge said, “You can go to the funeral or you can go to court, but you can't do both.”
“I thought it was terrible. I thought it was terrible,” Trump continued. “So he wants me to either miss the funeral or go to the funeral and miss the trial.”
Furthermore, he added: He's a mean judge. He's a guy who hates Trump. And it's clear to everyone in the courtroom that, frankly, what's going on is disgraceful. That's shameful. ”
Trump referred to Judge Louis A. Kaplan, saying he was a “Clinton appointee.”
Amalia Knabs, mother of former first lady Melania Trump, died last week at the age of 78.
“It is with deep sadness that I announce the death of my beloved mother Amalia,” the former first lady said in a post on X.
“Amalia Knahus was a strong woman who always conducted herself with grace, warmth and dignity,” Melania wrote. “She was completely devoted to her husband, her daughter, her grandchildren, and her son-in-law.”
“While we will miss her immeasurably, we will continue to honor and love her,” she added.
After winning the Iowa caucuses on Monday night, Trump thanked his late mother-in-law in his victory speech.
“I want to thank my wonderful wife, the First Lady, my former and maybe future wife, but more importantly than First Lady Melania, I want to thank her incredibly beautiful mother, who passed away a few days ago,” Trump said. said. “And she's up there, all the way up. She's looking down and she's so proud of us. And I want to say to Amalia, you're special, you're the best I've ever known.” One of the most special people ever.”
The funeral will be held Thursday in Palm Beach, Florida.
President Trump appeared in court this week as part of a civil defamation lawsuit stemming from a lawsuit filed by Carroll, who accused him of sexually assaulting her in a department store fitting room in the 1990s.
The second trial comes after a federal jury in New York City ruled in May that Trump was not responsible for rape but was responsible for sexual abuse and defamation. The former president was ordered to pay $5 million.
Carroll, 79, claimed that President Trump raped her sometime in 1996 at the Bergdorf Goodman department store across from Trump Tower in Manhattan.
Carroll said the two ran into each other at a store where Trump was trying to buy a gift for a “girl.” She said the man pushed her into her changing room and assaulted her after he asked her for advice and the two of them went shopping for her.
Trump vehemently denied the allegations, and as a result of that denial, Carroll slammed Trump with a defamation lawsuit, claiming that Trump's response had damaged her reputation.
Mr. Trump and his lawyers have maintained that Mr. Carroll's claims were fabricated, and the former president's initial reactions included accusations that Mr. Carroll's motive was to sell copies of her book. was.
“I have no idea who this woman is,” Trump told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview shortly after the jury returned its verdict.
“This verdict is shameful,” he told Fox News Digital at the time. “This is a continuation of the greatest political witch hunt in history.”
The former president told reporters last week that he plans to testify for the defense in the current trial, saying, “I'm going to explain to you that I don't know who the hell she is.”
Carroll, 80, is expected to testify about the damage to her career and reputation caused by President Trump's public comments. She is seeking $10 million in compensatory damages and millions more in punitive damages.
Nine jurors have been selected for the trial, which Kaplan said is expected to last three to five days. Testimony begins Wednesday.
