Trump takes the stand in defamation trial, but judge limits his ability to defend himself

Donald Trump appeared in federal court in New York to defend himself in the lawsuit for damages arising from accusations of defamation and sexual assault by journalist E. Jean Carroll.

The Republican Party's favorite for the 2024 presidential election briefly took the stand this Thursday to vehemently deny Carroll's accusations.

During his testimony, the former president limited himself to answering three key questions asked by the defense. Firstly, he was asked if he had seen his statement in court, to which he responded affirmatively. Secondly, he was asked if he stood by the testimony in which he denied having sexually assaulted Carroll, to which Trump responded with a resounding: "100 percent. Yes." The third question focused on whether he had ever threatened Carroll on social media, to which Trump responded: "No, I was only defending myself from what I believe was a false allegation."

Despite how short the former president's answers were, Judge Lewis Kaplan asked the jury to disregard all the statements that went beyond simple yes or no answers. He then asked jurors to leave and return Friday morning to hear closing arguments.

As he left the courtroom, Trump expressed his displeasure and repeated several times: " This is not America."

The case against Trump

The defamation lawsuit filed by the 79-year-old journalist focuses on Trump allegedly making defamatory statements by denying having sexually assaulted Carroll and claiming that he never met her.

It should be remembered that the journalist maintains that Trump raped her in a dressing room at the Bergdorf Goodman department store located in front of Trump Tower in Manhattan in 1996. Although a federal jury in New York City decided last year that the former president was not responsible for rape, it did find him guilty of sexual abuse and defamation, fining him $5 million. But for Carroll, this was not enough, and she is now seeking more than $10 million in damages as a result of the defamation.

However, Trump and his legal team maintain that Carroll's accusations are fabricated and that the journalist told the story with the intention of selling more copies of her book.

Likewise, Trump's lawyer, Alina Habba, has argued that Carroll has not suffered any harm and that, on the contrary, the journalist's career has prospered since she filed the accusations against the former president.