Donald Trump claimed he had not been allowed to defend himself at his New York City rape trial — despite having ample opportunity to take the stand and defend himself.
In a Truth Social post published to his social media website a few hours before jurors began deliberating E. Jean Carroll’s battery and defamation case, Trump described himself as a victim of false accusations.
Carroll’s suit accuses Trump of raping her in the mid-1990s in a dressing room at Bergorf Goodman and defaming her when she spoke out decades later.
“Waiting for a jury decision on a False Accusation where I, despite being a current political candidate and leading all others in both parties, am not allowed to speak or defend myself, even as hard nosed reporters scream questions about this case at me,” Trump wrote.
“In the meantime, the other side has a book falsely accusing me of Rape, & is working with the press. I will therefore not speak until after the trial, but will appeal the Unconstitutional silencing of me, as a candidate, no matter the outcome!”
Carroll’s lawyers highlighted the statements after the jury got the case, describing it as “troublesome.”
“If the jury is unable to reach a verdict by the close of business today, we would suggest an instruction be read to them,” Kaplan said, “That Mr. Trump had every opportunity to testify in this case and that he was not prevented in any way from [presenting] a defense.”
Trump’s deadline to tell the court if he wanted to testify at his trial passed weeks ago without him speaking up. Nevertheless, Judge Lewis Kaplan left the door open throughout the two-week trial and took it upon himself to give Trump one last chance last week without being asked to by his lawyers.
Kaplan’s eleventh-hour courtesy came after he learned of Trump’s comments in Ireland lambasting the case, in which he said he’d cut his golfing trip short to come and “confront” Carroll at trial.
“I am absolutely committed in this case, as in every case, to ensure, to the best of my ability, that every party has a full and fair opportunity to pursue or defend against a claim asserted by or against that party,” Kaplan said after both parties rested Thursday, adding that in the interest of justice, he would give Trump until Sunday to file a motion to re-open his case to testify.
“If no such motion is filed,” Kaplan said, “that ship has irrevocably sailed.”