Trump appeared in court to face a victim he 'never met, saw or touched'

Trump skipped the first trial but arrived Tuesday for a second libel case. Photo: DAVID DI DELGADO/BLOOMBERG

Donald Trump arrived in Manhattan court on Tuesday to appear before a sexual assault victim he previously insisted he «never met, saw or touched.»

The former president, 77, was found guilty in a civil trial last year of sexually assaulting and defaming magazine columnist E. Jean Carroll.

She alleged that Trump raped her in a Bergdorf Goodman fitting room nearly 30 years ago. Jurors did not find Trump guilty of rape.

Trump skipped the first trial but arrived in New York federal court Tuesday morning in a second libel case that focuses on comments he made in 2019 year, accusing 80-year-old Carroll of making up accusations of selling books.

Hours before arriving in court, he risked filing a new libel suit, saying Ms. Carroll's allegations were «pure fiction.»

«After a historic victory in Iowa, I go to Biden emboldened by the Witch Hunt in Lower Manhattan to fight the FAKE case of a woman I have never met, seen or touched (celebrity lines don't count!),» Trump wrote in a post on his social media site, Pravda.

< He said the lawsuit was a “giant election interference scam,” adding, “I had no idea who this woman was. PURE FICTION!”

Ms. Carroll was awarded $5 million in damages in May for a previous claim. Photo: STEPHANIE KEITH/GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA

His comments are likely to anger Judge Lewis Kaplan, who is overseeing the case.

Judge Kaplan said this week's trial was not a repeat of the first and barred Mr. Trump and his lawyers from arguing that he did not sexually assault Ms. Carroll to the jury.

On Saturday, Mr. Trump called Judge Kaplan was a «terrible, biased, irrationally evil judge appointed by Clinton» and confirmed his claim that he does not know Ms. Carroll and has never met her before.

«They are animals,» Trump said . said about the judges hearing numerous civil and criminal cases against him.

Judge Kaplan rejected Trump's lawyers' request to delay the trial one week so he could attend the funeral of his mother-in-law Amalia Knavs in Florida on Thursday.

Before jurors were called

Alina Habba, Trump's lawyer, told the court it was «completely unfair» for her client to have to choose between burying his mother-in-law and pursuing a multimillion-dollar libel suit.

Judge Kaplan said he did not want to stay the trial , adding that it is up to the defendant to make a decision about which event to attend.

However, the judge suggested extending the trial for another day if Mr. Trump, who is not required to attend the trial, decides to give testimony.

< p>Lawyers for Ms Carroll, who was awarded $5 million (£3.9 million) in a trial last year, have sought $10 million (£7.9 million) in damages for damages and millions more in punitive damages for a series of statements Mr. Trump made refuting her claims. .