In a riveting courtroom spectacle, former President Donald Trump made headlines as he headed to Manhattan federal court to face his rape accuser, columnist E Jean Carroll. Sporting mysterious red marks on his hand, Trump waved at cameras outside Trump Tower, capturing the attention of gossip enthusiasts.

Trump, facing the second day of the defamation trial, locked eyes with Carroll as she took the stand, accusing him of assault and defamation. Carroll, seeking $10 million in damages, testified that she aims to halt Trump “from telling lies about me.” The trial comes after a previous jury awarded her $5 million in a similar case.

As the courtroom drama unfolded, Trump’s lawyer, Alina Habba, engaged in a heated exchange with US District Judge Lewis Kaplan. Habba sought a trial postponement for the funeral of former first lady Melania’s mother, but Kaplan swiftly denied the request. Trump’s reaction, labelling Kaplan a “nasty guy,” added a layer of intrigue to the proceedings.

During Carroll’s testimony, Trump reportedly whispered to his lawyer, leading to complaints that he was speaking loudly within earshot of the jury. The judge instructed Trump to keep his voice down to avoid the jury overhearing.

Carroll recounted Trump’s dismissive comments about her appearance, interpreting his 2019 statement, “she is not my type,” as meaning she was “too ugly to assault.” Amid her testimony, Carroll detailed death threats she received, attributing them to Trump’s statements about her.

In a lunch break, Trump took to his Truth Social platform to launch a scathing attack on Judge Kaplan, claiming bias and expressing regret for not attending the first trial. Trump accused Kaplan of suffering from “Trump Derangement Syndrome” and criticised the judge for denying a one-day delay for attending his mother-in-law’s funeral.

As the trial adjourned, questions lingered about the red marks on Trump’s hand. Speculations on X (formerly Twitter) ranged from recent falls to “hand herpes.” However, dermatology expert Dr. Joshua Zeichner suggested the marks could be a rash caused by various factors, adding an intriguing twist to the ongoing courtroom saga. The trial is set to resume with more explosive exchanges and revelations on Thursday.