The judge in Donald Trump's defamation trial threatened Wednesday to kick him out of court because he "can't control" himself.
MSNBC legal analyst Katie Phang transcribed the in-court dressing-down.
Judge Lewis Kaplan had previously warned the former president several times to stop loudly "muttering" in the hearing of the jury.
"Mr. Trump has the right to be present here," Kaplan told the ex-president, "but that right can be forfeited, and it can be forfeited if he is disruptive and if he disregards court orders. Mr. Trump, I hope I don't have to consider excluding you from the trial. I understand you are very eager for me to do that. I know you would because you just can't control yourself in this circumstance."
Trump then threw both hands into the air and began shaking them. "I would love it," he said, according to Politico reporter Erica Orden.
Trump did not attend the first trial involving defamation and sexual abuse claims from E. Jean Carroll last year. He was found liable in that case.
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This week's trial involves a separate accusation of defamation regarding comments he made involving the same sexual abuse accusation. The judge has already ruled he's liable and the jury is determining damages.
Experts have suggested that Trump is attempting to pick a fight with the judge so that he will have someone to attack and claim that he's the victim of a partisan judge who hates him — the same tactic he was accused of using in his New York fraud case overseen by Judge Arthur Engoron.
