Judge warns Trump can be kicked out of E Jean Carroll trial for in-court outbursts

After Donald Trump repeatedly loudly complained about E Jean Carroll’s testimony in a second defamation trial against the former president, the federal judge overseeing the case in New York warned he could remove him from the courtroom for his outbursts.

Mr Trump ignored several warnings from US District Judge Lewis Kaplan on Wednesday after he could be heard calling the case a “witch hunt” and a “con job” as he watched Ms Carroll’s testimony, which detailed the daily abuse and death threats she has received as a result of the former president’s ongoing defamatory statements about her.

“Mr Trump has the right to be present here. That right can be forfeited and it can be forfeited if he is disruptive, which what has been reported to me consists of,” the judge said. “I hope I don’t have to consider excluding you from the trial.”

Mr Trump then tossed up his hands, telling the judge “I would love it.”

“I know you would,” Judge Kaplan replied. “You just can’t control yourself in this circumstance, apparently.”

The latest courtroom outburst from Mr Trump, who is not obligated to attend the trial, follows a series of gag orders in his civil fraud case that were upheld after his derogatory comments about the court’s chief clerk sparked a wave of credible death threats.

The former president also defied the judge overseeing that case by lashing out from the defence table during closing arguments last week. He also lambasted the judge, the state attorney general suing him, the state lawyer questioning him, and the case itself when he appeared on the witness stand during that trial last year.

Mr Trump has relied on a growing list of criminal indictments and lawsuits against him for his campaign for the 2024 Republican nomination for