Trump Provides A Rapid-fire Testimony In New York Defamation Trial

iexclusivenews – Donald Trump took the stand in the defamation trial filed by writer E Jean Carroll, who accused him of sexually assaulting her in the 1990s.

However, his testimony was short and restricted, as the judge limited the scope of his answers.

The Background of the Defamation Trial

The civil trial stems from the defamatory remarks that Mr Trump made about Ms Carroll in 2019, when he was still in the White House.

He denied her allegation of sexual assault and said that she was “not his type” and that he had never met her.

However, a separate trial had already found him liable of sexually abusing Ms Carroll in a New York department store. He continues to reject the verdict and appeal the case.

On Thursday, Judge Lewis Kaplan, who presides over the defamation case, ruled that the former president could only testify on the issue of damages, not on the facts of the assault.

He said that the first trial had established the facts and the only question left was how much Mr Trump had to pay Ms Carroll, if anything.

This meant that the judge and the lawyers spent more time debating the parameters of Mr Trump’s testimony than the actual testimony itself, which lasted only four minutes.

Judge Kaplan did not allow the current Republican presidential frontrunner to deviate from the agreed topics, preventing him from making any political statements or speeches from the witness stand.

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The Content of the Testimony

Mr Trump was asked by his lawyer Alina Habba if he stood by his deposition, in which he denied Ms Carroll’s accusation. He said: “100% yes”.

He then added: “She said something that I considered a false accusation — totally false.”

But Judge Kaplan quickly interrupted him and instructed the jury to disregard that comment.

Ms Habba also asked if Mr Trump had ever told anyone to harm Ms Carroll, to which he replied: “No, I just wanted to defend myself, my family and frankly, the presidency.”

The judge again ordered that part to be stricken from the record.

After the testimony was over, Mr Trump left the courtroom in a huff, complaining to a reporter from WCBS: “It’s not America. This is not America”.

He also ignored the judge’s warning to stop interrupting the proceedings by “talking loudly”. He was heard muttering under his breath that he had “never met this woman (Carroll)”.

The Implications of the Testimony

Mr Trump’s testimony was another example of his risky and unconventional legal strategy. He has faced many legal battles, both personal and political, and has often challenged the limits of the court.

By testifying outside of the boundaries set by the judge on Thursday, he could have potentially faced severe penalties or even jail time for perjury.

However, he seems to be playing by his own rules, which keeps his base loyal and interested in his legal troubles.

And more importantly, it generates a lot of media attention at a crucial time for his political career.

After winning the New Hampshire primary, the former New York real estate mogul is on track to become the Republican presidential nominee.

But that may also be why he is unlikely to change his behaviour: It has proved to be a key aspect of his brand and appeal.