Former President Trump made a sudden exit from the ongoing sexual abuse defamation trial in a Manhattan federal courtroom just as closing remarks were commencing. The departure coincided with comments from Roberta Kaplan, the lawyer representing writer E. Jean Carroll, who accused Trump of sexual abuse. Kaplan asserted that the former president had attempted to normalize behavior considered abnormal.
The reason for Trump’s departure remains unclear, but Judge Lewis Kaplan, unrelated to Carroll’s lawyer, directed the defense, including adviser Boris Epshteyn, to remain seated after Trump left. Trump reentered the courtroom only when his lawyer, Alina Habba, commenced the defense’s closing argument.
This abrupt exit mirrors a similar incident during Trump’s recent civil fraud trial, where he left the courtroom in frustration after a judge ruled against him. Carroll’s defamation lawsuit stems from Trump’s 2019 denials of sexually abusing her decades earlier. A previous verdict found Trump liable for sexual abuse, resulting in a $5 million award to Carroll. In the current trial, Carroll is seeking over $24 million in damages for Trump’s continued denials.
During the trial, Judge Kaplan rebuked Trump’s lawyer for speaking out of turn and warned of potential consequences. Closing remarks are anticipated to conclude on Friday, paving the way for jury deliberations to determine the financial restitution Trump must pay to Carroll, given his previous liability in the defamation case.