Trump knocks judge for not delaying E. Jean Carroll trial for Melania’s mother’s funeral

Former President Trump said the federal judge overseeing his defamation case with writer E. Jean Carroll was “abusive” for not delaying the trial so the former president could attend his mother-in-law’s funeral.

“Now, because I want to be at this Witch Hunt 100% of the time and watch what is going on, my attorneys asked the Judge for a one day delay so that I can attend the funeral of my beloved mother-in-law, with my wife and entire family, tomorrow in Palm Beach, Florida,” he wrote Wednesday on Truth Social.

“The Judge, angrily, and somewhat surprisingly, said NO, you can go to the trial, or you can go to the funeral, but not both. He is abusive, rude, and obviously not impartial but, that’s the way this crooked system works!” Trump wrote in a second post.

The trial to determine how much Trump owes in defamation damages to Carroll began Tuesday. The former president said in the Truth Social post he feels an “obligation” to attend the trial “because we have a seething and hostile Clinton-appointed Judge, Lewis Kaplan, who suffers from a major case of Trump Derangement Syndrome.”

After the death of his mother-in-law, Trump’s attorney asked the court to adjourn the trial for one week so the former president could travel with his family and attend the funeral Jan. 17 and 18. 

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump takes the stage at a caucus night party in Des Moines, Iowa, Monday, Jan. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan denied the request last week, saying in a memorandum Sunday that a delay would disrupt the operations of the court. He added that Trump was “free to attend the funeral, the trial or both.”

Kaplan also said if Trump’s defense team is done presenting their case Thursday except his testimony, the court will pause the trial until the following Monday to allow Trump to attend the funeral.

Trump’s rant on social media attacking the judge comes after Kaplan threatened to kick the former president out of the courtroom for being “disruptive” during the trial Wednesday.

In a series of posts, Trump continued to attack Kaplan over his handling of the case, calling the judge “totally biased and hostile.” He echoed his familiar cries of the case being “rigged” against him because he is the leading Republican candidate in the presidential race. 

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He also said Kaplan should have recused himself from the case and also attacked Carroll again for her allegations against him. Carroll is seeking at least $10 million in damages for Trump’s denials when she came forward publicly in 2019 with her claims that he sexually assaulted her in a department store dressing room in 1996.

“I did nothing wrong, except defend myself from false, malicious, and defamatory accusations by somebody writing a book, and deciding to put this fake nonsense into it, probably for the publicity she would get. She was not damaged, I am the one who was damaged. It is impossible for me to get a fair trial in front of this Judge,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.