3:31 pm ET, January 26, 2024
Scenes from the courtroom as closing arguments in the defamation case take place
From CNN's Jeff Winter
Jane Rosenberg/Reuters
e. Jean Carroll sat two rows in front of Donald Trump, with a monitor between them Friday morning as the closing arguments unfolded.
Three judges wore masks. A blonde woman sat in the second row of the box through most of the closing arguments of Carol's lawyer, Roberta Kaplan, and Trump's lawyer, Alina Hubba. The jury to her right chewed gum and was ushered off the stage. During the 3 1/2 hours he was in the courtroom, Trump mostly sat in his chair with his elbows on the table.
The former president did not sit until the judge read instructions to the jury. After a 10-minute break, Trump returned to the security table for Habba's closing.
What the hell? Her arguments got heated – too close to the mic, and too loud for her voice to blare over the sound system. Trump will look at her with admiration laughter.
When Hubba talked about Carol hanging her pants over the window for safety, Trump mocked her by saying she didn't call the police, but “she hung her pants up,” Trump laughed at Hubba's performance.
When it was time to read instructions to the jury, Judge Louis Kaplan locked the courtroom. No one wants to take a break from arbitration. The only time Trump sat in his chair for long was during briefings. He stretched his back for a second. He picked up some Tic Tacs and knocked some down.
