Former President Trump on Thursday was given three days to decide whether to testify in his civil trial over writer E. Jean Carroll’s sexual battery and defamation allegations against him.
A new update shows the court granted Trump until 5 p.m. Sunday to file a motion to reopen his case “for the sole purpose of testifying as a witness in this case.”
Unless the court directs otherwise, closings in the trial, overseen by U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan, will kick off Monday at 10 a.m.
Trump’s attorney reportedly made it clear to the court earlier this week that the former president would not appear in the courtroom. But on Thursday, Trump told reporters that he would “probably attend.”
“I have to go back for a woman that made a false accusation about me, and I have a judge who is extremely hostile,” Trump said. “And I’m going to go back, and I’m going to confront this.”
More E. Jean Carroll trial coverage from The Hill:
- Trump says he will ‘probably attend’ E. Jean Carroll trial to ‘confront this’
- Friend testifies E. Jean Carroll described Trump assault in emotional call
- Trump in deposition on writer’s rape claim: ‘It’s just made up’
- Trump lawyers won’t call any witnesses in civil rape trial
- Psychologist testifies Trump rape accuser shows signs of trauma
Carroll has accused Trump of raping her in a Bergdorf Goodman department store in New York City in the 1990s and is suing for sexual battery and defamation, claiming that Trump defamed her as he denied the allegations. The trial opened late last month.
“I’m here because Donald Trump raped me, and when I wrote about it, he said it didn’t happen,” Carroll reportedly said on the witness stand. “He lied and shattered my reputation, and I’m here to try and get my life back.”