A day earlier than the first in New Hampshire that might successfully determine the race for the Republican presidential nomination, Donald J. Trump will probably be attempting to win votes from a Manhattan courtroom.

On Monday morning, Mr. Trump’s motorcade headed to the downtown courthouse the place a jury will quickly determine how much money, if any, he should pay the author E. Jean Carroll for defaming her in 2019. That was the yr she first accused him of raping her many years earlier in a division retailer dressing room, and the query of whether or not Mr. Trump will testify continued to loom because the trial was set to renew.

However politics doesn’t cease on the courtroom door. The previous president has been treating his courtroom appearances as opportunities to reach voters, even holding a information convention to complain that he was the one who suffered damages.

Mr. Trump has been alternating trial appearances with trips to New Hampshire, and over the weekend held rallies in Harmony, Manchester and Rochester.

“They are weaponizing law enforcement at a level like never before,” Mr. Trump mentioned Sunday night time on the Rochester rally, including: “You know where I’m going to be. I don’t have to be there, but I want to be there, because otherwise I can’t get a fair shake. I’m going to be in court.”

Mr. Trump, 77, has steered that he wished to testify within the civil trial, which is starting its second week, and in courtroom filings, Mr. Trump’s and Ms. Carroll’s attorneys have been debating the parameters of what the previous president needs to be allowed to say. The judge, Lewis A. Kaplan, is more likely to ask him instantly whether or not he’ll take the stand.

Mr. Trump didn’t attend an earlier trial involving Ms. Carroll, 80, during which a jury final spring discovered him answerable for sexually abusing her and for defaming her in a submit on his Fact Social web site in 2022. The jury ordered him to pay $5 million in damages.

Right here’s what to learn about Monday’s proceedings:

Choose Kaplan has dominated that if Mr. Trump takes the stand, he may not dispute Ms. Carroll’s model of occasions, as he typically does in disparaging social media posts, marketing campaign speeches and information conferences. Mr. Trump has lengthy contended that Ms. Carroll is a liar who fabricated her story of the rape as a way to promote a ebook. Ms. Carroll is asking for no less than $10 million in damages.
Ms. Carroll’s lawyer, Roberta A. Kaplan, requested the choose to make sure that if Mr. Trump testifies, he stays throughout the confines of the jury’s slim problem — monetary damages — and doesn’t contest the accuracy of Ms. Carroll’s account and turn the trial “into a circus.”
Mr. Trump’s lawyer, Alina Habba, mentioned that even with the restrictions positioned on her consumer, Mr. Trump may “still offer considerable testimony in his defense.” Ms. Habba mentioned Mr. Trump “should be allowed to testify about the circumstances surrounding his statements” and whether or not he was appearing with “hatred or ill will.”
Ms. Habba mentioned Mr. Trump needs to be allowed to rebut proof Ms. Carroll’s attorneys had mentioned they wished to introduce — the notorious Access Hollywood tape, during which Mr. Trump bragged about grabbing ladies by their genitals, in addition to the testimony of Jessica Leeds and Natasha Stoynoff, who’ve mentioned additionally they have been sexually assaulted by Mr. Trump. On Saturday, Ms. Carroll’s lawyer, Ms. Kaplan, informed the choose that she wouldn’t introduce the Entry Hollywood tape or witnesses’ testimony, “to keep the issues at this trial focused.”