On Thursday, Ty Cobb, an ex-White House lawyer, voiced strong disapproval of Donald Trump‘s courtroom demeanor in the ongoing defamation trial involving E. Jean Carroll, a magazine columnist.
What Happened: Trump’s disruptive presence in the courtroom earned him a reprimand from U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan, reported The Hill.
"This is Trump at his worst, and I don't think we're going to see anything much different between now and November," Cobb said in an interview with CNN's "Erin Burnett OutFront,” according to the report.
Carroll accused the former President of sexual assault dating back to the 1990s and charged him with defamation for denying the allegations. During the proceedings to determine Trump’s liability to Carroll, Judge Kaplan scolded Trump for his loud and disruptive comments to his lawyer during the trial and for defying orders to cease.
Trump, who labeled the trial a "witch hunt" and a "con job," insisted that Carroll was lying about the assault. Cobb criticized Trump’s courtroom behavior, accusing him of using the trial to further a political narrative. He went on to condemn Trump’s continuous denial of the sexual assault despite the jury finding him liable.
Cobb also expressed empathy for Judge Kaplan’s frustration with Trump and his legal team, describing Kaplan as a “very serious judge” who values honorable and fair conduct from lawyers.
See Also: Marjorie Taylor Greene Says Trump Will Carry Out ‘Mass Deportations On Day 1'
Why It Matters: The defamation trial against Trump got heated on Wednesday after Kaplan reminded Trump that while he had the right to be present in the court — that right could be forfeited if he was disruptive, according to a prior report.
As per a report by Benzinga this month, the trial took an unexpected turn when Judge Kaplan allowed the presentation of a controversial 2005 "Access Hollywood" tape featuring Trump making derogatory comments about women. This move was to help jurors grasp Trump's mindset, particularly toward Carroll.
One week later, another Benzinga report revealed that this was Trump’s second defense against defamation charges from Carroll. Carroll's lawyer, Shawn Crowley, argued that Trump had used his platform to attack, humiliate, and ruin Carroll’s reputation.
Earlier, Benzinga reported that Cobb had warned about the threat Trump posed to democracy, further highlighting the significance of this trial.
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