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- Donald Trump will officially not be testifying at his civil rape trial.
- The former president was given a deadline after telling reporters he would attend.
- Closing arguments for the case are set for Monday, and the jury will begin deliberating Tuesday.
Donald Trump will officially not be testifying at his civil rape trial, brought by author and writer E. Jean Carroll, after lawyers did not file a request to do so by a Sunday 5 p.m. deadline, the Associated Press reported.
The former president, who is accused of raping Carroll and subsequently defaming her character, has not attended the ongoing trial, but told reporters Thursday he would “confront” Carroll about her accusations.
“I will probably attend,” Trump said Thursday while playing golf at his resort in Doonbeg, Ireland “And I think it’s a disgrace that it’s allowed to happen, false accusations against a rich guy, or in my case against a famous, rich, and political person.”
Trump’s comments prompted US District Court Judge Lewis Kaplan, who is overseeing the case, to give Trump the deadline during a Thursday hearing, Insider’s Laura Italiano reported.
Despite these statements, his lead attorney Joe Tacopina insisted at the hearing that Trump waived his right to testify. Trump’s attorneys also did not present a defense during the week-long trial after their only witness was unable to testify. The only time the president defended himself in front of jurors during the trial was when his 48-minute deposition tape played in the courtroom.
Without a Trump testimony, closing arguments are set to commence on Monday, with jury deliberations following on Tuesday.
Carroll, a former longtime Elle magazine columnist, alleges Trump raped her in the dressing room of the Bergdorf Goodman department store in Manhattan in the spring of 1996.
Lawyers for Carroll and Trump did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment.
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