breaking news: Judge gives Trump until Sunday night to make motion on testifying in rape case

[jgo]

Update 5:11 pm, May 4

From Inner City Press twitter feed from the courtroom:

"
Tacopina: We rest out rest.
Judge Kaplan: So Mr. Trump waives his right to testify?
Tacopina: He does.
Judge Kaplan: How recently have you spoken with him?
Tacopina: A few minutes before I came into court this morning.
Judge Kaplan: I am committed to allowing parties to make their case. I will allow Mr. Trump up to 10 pm Sunday to make a motion to testify - I'm not saying I'll grant it, but I'll consider it and we'll see what happens. 10 pm Sunday, that's it. Tell Mr. Trump
"

[vlyons]

1. He won't testify

He can't stand the publicity or photos of him entering the court house. Never going to happen.

[MyOwnPeace]

2. I'm just hoping.....

that this judge is going out of his way to assure the 'defendant' a fair trial - giving tRump one final chance before he slams it to him (well, just like Donny did to get himself in this particular mess.......).

[Tanuki]

3. Calling his bluff.

[Ocelot II]

4. I'd be gobsmacked if he testified.

He'll whine about how the judge is so unfair that he doesn't dare testify, but the reality is that he's afraid to do it. He and Joe Tapioca both know that he can't move his lips without lying, and that he couldn't withstand being cross-examined - though I'd love to watch him decompensate while being cross-examined by Carroll's female lawyer, the very competent Roberta Kaplan.

[Irish_Dem]

6. I think they would have to medicate Trump before he testified.

Or else he would decompensate in rage.

[MLAA]

5. It was all bluster and bullshit when he announced he had to return to the US to defend himself.

He is intimidated by strong, smart women he didn’t even have the courage to attend the trial.

[Hassler]

7. Loser boy won't show. He'll just run to a CNN camera and vent.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

8. Trump wanted to see the whole thing play out, see how he and Taco were doing

and what she, and her witnesses said, so he could determine whether he needed to show up and try to salvage his defense with targeted testimony.

I REALLY doubt he'll show up (nor do I think at this point it should even be allowed), but if he does, it'll be because he knows he's going to LOSE BIGLY if he doesn't do something drastic.

Should it happen ... mark my words ... he's going to totally switch tack (from EVERYTHING he's said in the past) and try to claim that as far as he knew, it was a consensual encounter. Maybe even try to claim he thought EJC WAS his ex-wife Marla. Wouldn't that be a

He's going to get destroyed on the stand by Kaplan if he shows up, and I think he knows it damn well, so I don't think he will.

Easier to take the loss and just appeal and harp about how unfair everyone is being, how 'political' they are, etc. And he'll also claim Taco wouldn't 'let him testify' and that's what led to the loss.

[Bev54]

9. LOL check mate!

[bluestarone]

10. If the judge would not have done this,

We ALL know what TFG would be SQUEALING about. (THEY wouldn't let me testify)

[Deuxcents]

11. Does this gesture assure tfg can't appeal the verdict if he's found guilty?

[Ocelot II]

12. He won't be found guilty; this isn't a criminal trial. He could be found *liable*

to Carroll for civil damages for defamation and battery. He can always appeal an unfavorable verdict - the question is just whether the appeal would succeed. And that's not likely.

[Deuxcents]

13. O, right. I guess I got ahead of myself. Thanks for the explanation and opinion

[Mr.Bill]

14. It won't take much effort from a few right wing websites

and cable news outlets to twist this into "Judge refuses to let Trump testify in trial".

[louslobbs]

15. Trump has absolutely ZERO ability to control himself, none!

Even though somewhere in Trumps warped mind, this defective, degenerate, traitorous, piece of garbage knows this, he always believes that he can baffle with bullshit and is the smartest person in the room. I don’t think he will chance it and testify here, but after all, this is Donald Trump we’re talking about so anything is possible. Though I can’t stand to look at him or hear his voice, If he testified and it was recorded, I’d definitely watch. Trump is one of the most repulsive personalities I’ve experienced in my lifetime. He represents everything most of us were taught not to be……and tens of millions of others support this nasty, corrupt, traitorous, piece of trash. The only thing I can come up with is that these people who support this degenerate are just like him. They share his lack of values, his lack of critical thinking skills, his functional illiteracy, his ability to lie, cheat and steal. They share his bigotry, his racism, and his phony relationship to religion. They feel powerful in each other’s cult of stupidity and hate. The most we can hope for is that he’s in one of his moods where he feels invincible……nah, no one’s that stupid………..right????

[Fullduplexxx]

16. He'll give his testimony on cnn when they give him a national audience

[Thomas Hurt]

17. If the Judge hadn't given him more time he would have squealed.

What am I saying, the Pig will squeal anyway.

[C_U_L8R]

18. I'm all for it.

It could be a beautiful cross-examination.
Maybe even a "Ahh, but the strawberries" or
a "You can't handle the truth" moment.

E Jean's lawyers are gonna dream until Sunday
of having that turd on stand.

[EndlessWire]

19. I don't think he'll testify

The Judge is extremely tolerant to allow this frivolous treatment of the trial, but I can see why he has done this. Tacopina shot off his mouth and got several hours shaved off the time table, to 5pm Sunday.

If he really did speak to Trump in the AM, they must have talked about the way things were going. Trump says no, but then thinks it over, but doesn't call Tacopina to tell him. Somehow the Judge knows exactly what Trump has said (email, perhaps? Somebody is on the job.) The Judge is way ahead of Tacopina, and he's well aware of the disparagement dished out from afar.

If the Orange Turd mean mouths the Judge from in front of the Courthouse or elsewhere, he'll do something. Otherwise, Trump will try to turn everything into a he said/she said. I can't see any of it working out for Donald.

I hope Kaplan, atty grills him for half a day. He has no defense at this point; the jury is busy thinking their thoughts about it, and Trump is not innocent of the complaint. He's gonna look pretty silly at this point. Golfing in Scotland...I'd like to see him be confrontational with the Judge, get held in contempt, and hauled off by a bailiff to lockup.

[Talitha]

20. I don't think he will - he's a chickenshit.

Besides that, he's weak - he wouldn't be able to control his mouth.