Trump storms out of courtroom minutes into E. Jean Carroll’s lawyer’s closing arguments
Donald Trump stood up and stormed out of a Manhattan federal courtroom just minutes after the lawyer for E. Jean Carroll began delivering closing arguments.
Roberta Kaplan had just started telling the jury that the defamation trial was “about getting [Trump] to stop once and for all” publicly attacking Carroll.
After roughly five minutes of Kaplan speaking, Trump interrupted by abruptly leaving the room around 9:58 a.m.
The real estate mogul is not required to attend the civil trial as he would be in a criminal case. In fact, he canceled a trip to Arizona for a GOP event Friday to attend the proceedings.
Judge Lewis Kaplan — no relation to Roberta Kaplan — was forced to interject, saying, “The record will reflect that Mr. Trump just rose and walked out of the courtroom.”
“Defense counsel are to remain seated,” the judge said to Trumps team.
The dramatic moment unfolded after Judge Kaplan had warned everyone in the courtroom to remain silent during the lawyers’ arguments.
Judge threatens to throw Trump lawyer out of courtroom during argument before closings
Judge Lewis Kaplan threatened to throw Trump lawyer Alina Habba out of the courtroom moments before E. Jean Carroll’s lawyer kicked off closing arguments.
The row started when Kaplan told Habba she couldn’t include a certain slide with the slideshow she would use for her closings for legal reasons.
“You are not using the slide, period,” Kaplan said.
But Habba pressed on insisting she “wanted to make a record” of her objection to the judge’s decision. Kaplan told her to move on before she started to speak over him.
“Ms. Habba you are on the verge of spending some time in the lockup. Sit down!”
Habba then took a seat and stopped speaking.