Former President Donald Trump abruptly left closing arguments in Manhattan federal court Friday, as a lawyer for a writer seeking millions of dollars in damages for defamation urged a jury to “send him a message” to stop abusing her client.
According to the Associated Press, U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan interrupted Roberta Kaplan’s closing argument on behalf of writer E. Jean Carroll to record the fact that Trump “just rose and walked out of the courtroom.”
The walkout occurred shortly after closing started and minutes after the judge threatened to imprison Trump attorney Alina Habba for continuing to speak after being told she was finished.
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“You are on the verge of spending some time in the lockup. Now sit down,” the judge told Habba, according to the AP.
Roberta Kaplan and the judge are unrelated, the AP reported.
Trump had been visibly agitated all morning, vigorously shaking his head during Kaplan’s closing arguments.
The walkout occurred shortly after Roberta Kaplan stated, “Donald Trump has attempted to normalize abnormal conduct.”
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