U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan, who is overseeing E. Jean Carroll’s second defamation trial against former President Donald Trump, did not hold back on Tuesday when one MAGA adviser tried to interrupt the proceedings by saying his piece. Politico reporter Erica Orden caught the moment when longtime Trump adviser Boris Epshteyn attempted to interject in real-time at a Manhattan courtroom.
“Are you a member of the bar of this court?” Kaplan asked Epshteyn.
“I’m a member of the New York State Bar,” Ephsteyn replied.
Kaplan swiftly put the matter to rest, quickly saying, “Alright, then please have a seat.”
Trump legal adviser Boris Epshteyn just tried to speak in court, but was denied.
Judge Kaplan: “Are you a member of the bar of this court?”
Epshteyn: “I’m a member of the New York state bar.”
Kaplan: “Alright, then please have a seat.”
— erica orden (@eorden) January 16, 2024
Trump’s legal team has repeatedly groused about Ephsteyn. Rolling Stone reported last year that Ephsteyn’s presence on the team led to the departure of former Trump lawyer Drew Findling. The “same kind of power struggles that have long plagued Trump’s legal teams, even (or, especially) during times when Trump is trying his hardest to stay out of prison,” the Rolling Stone piece added.