Former President Donald Trump was in court on Thursday — this time in New York District Court to testify in the E. Jean Carroll defamation suit. (This would be "Carroll I," the initial defamation suit Carroll filed against Trump in relation to comments he made in 2019 denying her accusations that he sexually assaulted her in a department store dressing room in the 1990s.)

ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND:

Fireworks in E. Jean Carroll Defamation Trial As Judge Threatens to Bar Trump From Courtroom

Federal Judge Dismisses Trump's Counterclaim Against Writer He Was Held Liable for Sexually Abusing

Trump took the stand to testify in response to very limited questioning by his own counsel, Alina Habba.

Fox News' Eric Shawn reported from the courthouse regarding the proceedings.

Upon taking the stand Thursday, Trump was asked three questions by the defense. 

First, Trump was asked whether he saw his deposition played in court, to which he replied: "Yes." 

Second, he was asked if he stands by his statements in the deposition, to which he replied: "100 percent. Yes."

And third, he was asked if he ever threatened Carroll in his tweets and social media posts. 

"No," Trump said. "I was only defending myself from what I believe was a false allegation." 

The judge struck statements from Trump that went beyond a yes or no answer.

On the way out of the courtroom, Trump repeatedly said: "This is not America."

As RedState reported, in May of 2023, a federal jury found Trump liable to Carroll for battery (for the alleged sexual assault) and defamation arising out of statements he made in 2022 regarding the matter. 

A federal jury on Tuesday found former President Donald Trump liable of battery and defamation against writer E. Jean Carroll but rejected her claim that he raped her. He was ordered to pay over $5 million in damages.

In finding Trump liable for battery, the jury awarded Carroll $2 million in compensatory damages, along with $20,000 in punitive damages. For the defamation claim, the jury awarded her $2.7 million in compensatory damages and an additional $280,000 for punitive damages, finding that Trump had acted “maliciously, out of hatred, ill will, spite or wanton, reckless, or willful disregard of the rights of another” when he accused her of inventing the story.

The jury deliberated for only three hours before reaching a decision, which was announced in court shortly after 3 p.m. ET on Tuesday. The trial centered around Carroll’s allegations that Trump sexually assaulted her in the mid-1990s, and she was seeking compensatory and punitive damages.

While different jurors are hearing the current case, it is proceeding in front of the same judge (Lewis A. Kaplan) who presided over the prior trial. In this second case, the judge has already made a determination that Trump's 2019 statements regarding Carroll constitute defamation. The jury will solely be determining whether those statements damaged Carroll and, if so, to what extent. While Carroll was awarded $5 million in connection with the first trial, in the current case, she is requesting $10 million in damages. 

With the defense calling Trump to the stand, that signifies the case is likely nearing its conclusion and soon will be submitted to the jury for deliberation. Will their verdict mirror the prior one? We'll find out soon.