In a Manhattan federal court on Tuesday morning, the defamation trial filed by writer E. Jean Carroll against failed former president Donald Trump will begin, and as the indicted ex-president’s attorneys prepare to defend him, they know their client could easily spoil their legal strategy.
Even though Trump isn’t expect to testify in his own defense, there remains a chance that he will insist that he but put on the stand to rebut Carroll’s allegations or make statements on social media that could make their job virtually impossible.
An attorney who has presented a case before the presiding judge in the Carroll case told The New York Times that Trump’s lawyers do indeed have their hands full.
“Their biggest challenge is their client. He appears to be uncoachable, egomaniacal.”
She added, “He’s somebody who can stand on a podium in front of a throng of admirers and blast forth with all his insults and dark talk of the imminent Armageddon if he’s not elected. But I don’t see how any of that is going to play in a courtroom.”
The Times report also addressed the issue of whether or not Trump might demand that he be put on the stand.
“Mr. Trump has not indicated whether he will take the witness stand or even attend the proceedings. His lawyer told Judge Kaplan recently that Mr. Trump ‘wishes to appear,’ but suggested that he might stay away to spare New Yorkers traffic jams, security burdens and other hassles. His campaign’s website shows that Mr. Trump also has other commitments during the trial: On Thursday, he has scheduled an appearance in New Hampshire, an early primary state.”
If Trump is indeed found guilty of defaming Carroll, it would also mean that he will forever be known as a rapist, a title that won’t exactly endear him to female voters as his campaign ramps up for the 2024 election.