Former US President Donald Trump said he will skip the E. Jean Carroll trial on Thursday as he would attend former first lady Melania Trump's mother's funeral at a church located closer to the family's Mar-a-Lago estate, Fox News reported.
Melania Trump’s mother, Amalija Knavs, passed way last week at the age of 78. Her funeral is expected to take place on Thursday in Palm Beach, Florida.
Trump's remarks come after he lambasted the judge overseeing his defamation trial in New York as "nasty" for not postponing the court proceedings for the day so he could attend his late mother-in-law’s funeral.
On his social media platform Truth Social on Wednesday, Trump called Judge Lewis Kaplan “abusive, rude, and obviously not impartial” after Kaplan rejected his plea. He said the judge “suffers from a major case of Trump Derangement Syndrome.”
Speaking to media about his request denied by the judge, Trump said: “So, it happened very terribly as we asked to just delay the trial for one day so I could go to the funeral tomorrow and then we could start Friday or Monday or any time they want.” “And he said, absolutely not, the trial will go on just as it is.”
The Republican frontrunner, who has alleged the judge is "Clinton appointee", stated Kaplan said, “You can go to the funeral or you can go to the trial, but you can’t do both."
{{/usCountry}}The Republican frontrunner, who has alleged the judge is "Clinton appointee", stated Kaplan said, “You can go to the funeral or you can go to the trial, but you can’t do both."
{{/usCountry}}“I thought it was terrible. I thought it was terrible,” the ex-US president continued. “So he would rather have me miss the funeral or go to the funeral and miss the trial.”
Carroll faced Donald Trump in court for the first time
Carroll testified in her defamation lawsuit against Trump on Wednesday morning, her first court appearance alongside the former president.
She filed a lawsuit against Trump, claiming that he had raped her in a department store dressing room almost thirty years ago, accusing him of lying and harming her reputation.
The rape accuser is suing Trump for defamation for the second time. She was awarded $5 million in May after a jury declared him guilty of slander and sexual assault.
Trump thanks Melania's ‘incredible, beautiful mother’ in a heartfelt tribute
After winning the Iowa Caucuses, Trump in his victory speech on Monday thanked his late mother-in-law.
“I want to thank my incredible wife, first lady, I’ll say former and maybe future, but more important than Melania, I want to thank her incredible, beautiful mother who passed away a few days ago,” Trump asserted. “And she’s up there, way up there. She’s looking down and she’s so proud of us. And I just want to say to Amalia, you are special, one of the most special people I’ve ever known.”
Earlier, Melania announced the passing away of her mother Amalija on X (formerly Twitter).
“Amalija Knavs was a strong woman who always carried herself with grace, warmth, and dignity,” Melania wrote. “She was entirely devoted to her husband, daughters, grandson, and son-in-law. We will miss her beyond measure and continue to honor and love her legacy,” she added.
On Wednesday morning, Carroll faced former Trump in court for the first time, as she testified in her defamation case against the former president.
Carroll accused Trump of raping her in a department store dressing room nearly 30 years ago, and sued him for lying about it and damaging her reputation. Trump, who denied ever meeting Carroll, reacted with anger and defiance to her testimony, causing repeated disruptions and risking his expulsion from the courtroom.
This is Carroll’s second defamation trial against Trump. In May, she won a $5m verdict against him, after a jury found him guilty of sexual assault and defamation. Carroll revealed her rape allegation against Trump in 2019, in an excerpt from her book, What Do We Need Men For? A Modest Proposal, published by New York magazine.