Trump 'totally unmoved' by 'vile' message that left Carroll on 'verge of tears': analyst

During an interview with MSNBC's Joy Reid, legal analyst Lisa Rubin on Wednesday recounted scenes from day two of veteran journalist E. Jean Carroll's defamation trial against Donald Trump.

When asked to describe what she saw in the courtroom, Rubin replied, "The scene inside that courtroom today was not for a shortage of fireworks. Every time Donald Trump comes to court, I think I have seen the last of his egregious behavior. And yet, today we saw it again. Trump was clearly talking to [lawyer] Alina Habba in tones that were audible enough for the plaintiffs table to hear. And as, E. Jean Carroll's lawyer, Shawn Crowley, mentioned, if she could hear what he was saying, then surely the jury, which was even closer to him, could hear as well."

The legal analyst continued, "And on a couple of occasions he was essentially agreeing with his own prior statements. When they showed video of Truth Social posts that he has posted, not only in the last couple of months, but even in the last week leading up to the Iowa Caucuses, of him again denying the same story that a jury found credible, you could hear Trump say, 'That's true,' or 'it was a disgrace.' And he was admonished for that. The exchange between the two of them was an interesting study. Because [US District Judge] Lewis Kaplan does not suffer fools, and he has warned Trump. 'You have a right to be present here, but that doesn't mean that you can be disruptive. And if you continue with this, I'll have no choice but to expel him.' At which point Trump volunteered, I know that's what you want to do. And Judge Kaplan responded, 'Sir, more in sorrow than in anger, you just can't help yourself under these circumstances.' What I didn't hear, but what The Associated Press is reporting tonight, 'And then Trump shot back, 'and neither can you.' So this is a person who remains untamed."

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She continued, "He did it again this afternoon. He was not admonished for it and the plaintiff's counsel didn't bring it up, but when he comes back to court next week, and he is expected to return, I would tell you I think Trump has one chance left with Lew Kaplan before he's removed from the courtroom and revoked that right to testify that he offered him conditionally."

Reid asked, "What was E. Jean Carroll's demeanor when he was doing that? And what was her demeanor as she was testifying, and what did she testify to?"

Rubin replied, "E. Jean Carroll's demeanor today, fortunately for her and for her side, was just as stoic and quietly graceful as it was during the first trial. If Donald Trump's presence was bothersome to her, you could not tell in her testimony. However, there was one point where she was on the verge of tears, where she was being asked to read a Twitter message that said in the most vile terms basically that she should kill herself. And she was on the verge of tears. And in contrast to his outbursts when he heard something that he liked, former president Trump was totally unmoved by seeing a message where somebody said, essentially, that she should be raped and sexually assaulted, that she was too ugly for Trump to involve himself with, and that she should just go and kill herself because she had brought this on herself. No reaction, whatsoever, from him."

Watch the video below or at this link.