Both sides in E. Jean Carroll’s defamation and assault lawsuit against former President Donald Trump rested their cases Thursday night in Manhattan court.
But New York District Judge Lewis Kaplan offered an extended deadline for Trump to testify in his own defense, giving the former president’s legal team until 5 p.m. Sunday to ask the court to reopen the case. .
Trump has called the allegations by Carroll, a former columnist who alleges the former president raped her in a Manhattan department store in the 1990s, a “hoax.” She also has not appeared in court at any point in her seven-day defense trial.
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But while speaking to reporters at his golf course in Doonbeg, Ireland, on Thursday, Trump said he would “probably” attend the trial, again asserting that Carroll’s case was based on “false allegations.”
“I’ll probably attend (the trial) and I think it’s a shame that false accusations are allowed to happen against a rich guy, or in my case against a famous, wealthy, political person,” the former president said.
“I have to go back for a woman who made a false accusation about me, and I have a judge who is extremely hostile,” he added. “That’s why I have to leave Ireland and I have to leave Scotland, where I have large estates, I have to leave early. I don’t have to, but I choose to.”
according to a report on CNN, Kaplan ordered the “precautionary” deadline for Trump to testify because of his comments earlier that day. Trump legally waived his right to testify in court when his team dismissed his case.
“He has the right to testify, which he has waived, but if he is in doubt, I will at least consider it and maybe we will see what happens,” Kaplan told lawyers on Thursday.
CNN reported that Trump’s lawyer, Joe Tacopina, indicated that the former president’s defense team would not request the reopening of the case. Tacopina previously told Kaplan that Trump would not attend the trial in person.
As it stands, both sides will deliver closing arguments to the jury on Monday morning.
news week reached out to Trump via the contact form on his website early Thursday for comment. news week he also reached out to Tacopina via email for comment Thursday night.
According to the lawsuit, Carroll alleges that Trump “pushed his fingers around Carroll’s genitalia and forced his penis inside her.” previous elle The writer first made the allegations in her book published in 2019, but was immediately denied by Trump, who said that Carroll was not her “type” and that the story was a lie.
Carroll is suing Trump for assault and defamation for his comments in response to her allegations. Since the case is civil, Trump will not serve any jail time if the jury finds against him, but he could be ordered to make a large financial settlement.