Trump misses E. Jean Carroll's defamation trial to attend mother-in-law's funeral

Trump said the judge had told him: "You can go to the funeral or you can go to the trial, but you can’t do both."

Published: January 18, 2024 1:30pm

Former President Donald Trump missed Thursday's court proceedings on defamation claims brought by author E. Jean Carroll so he could attend his mother-in-law's funeral after the presiding judge refused to delay the trial.

Trump wrote on Truth Social that Thursday "will be devoted to the funeral (Celebration!!!) of a GREAT WOMAN, 'Babi,' the Beloved Mother of Melania and Grandmother of Barron — And what a Woman she was!!!"

Trump had said Wednesday that he asked for a one-day delay in the trial so he could be present at the funeral of Amalija Knavs, former first lady Melania Trump's mother.

Trump said Judge Lewis Kaplan told him, "You can go to the funeral or you can go to the trial, but you can’t do both," according to The New York Post.

"I thought it was terrible," Trump said. "So he would rather have me miss the funeral or go to the funeral and miss the trial."

He butted heads with the judge earlier in the trial, and Kaplan threatened to throw him out of the courtroom.

Knavs, who was also the grandmother of Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, passed away last week at the age of 78. The funeral was held Thursday morning in Palm Beach, Florida.

The former president is in the middle of fighting a $10 million lawsuit brought by Carroll after a jury previously found him liable for sexual battery and defamation in another trial with the author last year. Trump has denied all allegations against him.

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