Trump testifies in E. Jean Carroll defamation case

New York, Jan 26 (IANS) Former US President Donald Trump has testified for less than five minutes in E. Jean Carroll defamation trial in a New York court, local media reported.

Trump, the front-runner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, who testified briefly was cut off by Judge Lewis Kaplan.

Trump said Carroll's accusations were false though he was not allowed to testify that he didn't assault Caroll.

The jury in the current trial has been shown threats of murder and rape that Carroll has received since 2019 when she went public with her story through emails, texts and tweets, reported CBS News on Thursday.

Carroll, an American writer and former magazine columnist, accused Trump of raping her in the mid-1990s at a department store dressing room in Manhattan, New York City, and of later defaming her by denying her claims.

The trial is tasked to determine if Trump owns any more for defaming Caroll as another trial found him liable for sexual abuse and defamation with 5 million US dollars in damages awarded to Caroll in May 2023.

The trial will continue on Friday for closing arguments and Trump is expected to return to the court then, according to media reports.