Just a week ago, Judge Lewis Kaplan threatened to throw former President Donald Trump out of the trial after he fumed during Carroll’s testimony. Today, Trump stormed out of the courtroom as lawyers for E. Jean Carroll presented their closing arguments in their defamation case against him. Narcissists are incapable of handling even the slightest bit of criticism, and I wish that Trump’s temper tantrum was televised.
Alas, we have Xitter for law reporters to post what is happening inside the courtroom.
Attorney Roberta Kaplan said in closing arguments, “Jean now lives a life of a storm of hate and threats and disgusting attacks from people she doesn’t even know based on Trump’s lies. Trump has tried to normalize conduct that could hardly be more abnormal. Usually, people stop, but not him.”
That was the point when Trump walked out of the courtroom. Ms. Kaplan caused a public narcissistic injury by the seriously flawed former president. Isn’t it something that when Trump is called out for his behavior, he walks out of the courtroom to confirm his “abnormal” conduct?
Judge Kaplan said, “Let the record reflect that Mr. Trump just walked out of the courtroom,” adding to Trump’s attorney, “Defense counsel must remain seated, and that includes you, Mr. Epshteyn.”
And then he came back.
This is typical of Trump, but the trial is to determine how much he’ll owe E. Jean Carroll after repeatedly defaming her. It’s supposed to be an amount that’s enough to show that he won’t cross that line again — then he walked out of court.
