Donald Trump paid tribute to his late mother-in-law Amalija Knavs and called a New York judge an ‘animal’ for refusing to delay the E. Jean Carroll defamation trial so he can go to her funeral.
The former president, 77, told one of his final campaign events before the Iowa caucuses Melania’s mother was an ‘incredible woman’ with ‘great beauty inside’.
Knavs passed away last week at the age of 78 after spending the holidays in a Miami hospital with her daughter by her side.
The funeral is set to be in Florida on Wednesday, but Manhattan federal judge Lewis Kaplan refused to push back the trial a week.
Donald Trump paid tribute to his late mother-in-law Amalija Knavs and called a New York judge an ‘animal’ for refusing to delay the E. Jean Carroll defamation trial so he can go to her funeral
The Republican frontrunner, who goes into Monday’s caucuses 28 points ahead of Nikki Haley , insists he wants to be at wife Melania’s side during the service
Trump is facing up to $10 million in defamation damages to columnist Carroll after a jury last year found he sexually assaulted her.
The Republican frontrunner, who goes into Monday’s caucuses 28 points ahead of Nikki Haley, wants to be at wife Melania’s side during the service.
‘My wife’s mother, who was incredible and a great beauty inside and out – incredible woman – she just died,’ Trump told the Indianola crowd on Sunday.
‘And my wife was pretty devastated by that. I have a trial going on, a totally fake trial.
‘And we asked the judge if I could take a day off for a funeral for my mother-in-law, who was very close to me also.
‘And he said, “No.” These are animals. Can you imagine that.
‘These are bad people, these are radical left lunatics that want to hurt me, because they think it’s gonna hurt me at the polls so that Biden can win the election.
‘I don’t think the people are going to fall for it.
‘I’d like to support my wife who is going to be standing at a funeral of her mother, who is a very special woman.
Is she supposed to stand there alone? No, no, I’ll be there.
Former First Lady Melania Trump ‘s mother Amalija Knavs, 78, after being hospitalized in Miami, Florida, over the holidays. She is pictured center with her daughter and Donald Trump in 2018
‘One way or the other, I’ll be there. But what a disgrace that a judge would not say, “Yes, we can take a day off.”
He then went into a tirade on how all the prosecutions against him started when he emerged a the frontrunner in the Republican presidential race.
‘You know, all of these indictments they could have been done three years ago. They saved them all for the election – every one of them. I got one during Iowa. I got one during New Hampshire – the day before New Hampshire.’
Knavs was a textile factory dealer in her native Slovenia when she met husband Viktor. The pair then moved to the U.S. and have been by Melania’s side during her career from modeling to the East Wing. She is pictured with her daughter in 2004
The former president, 77, told one of his final campaign events before the Iowa caucuses that Melania’s mother as an ‘incredible woman’ with ‘great beauty inside
Trump is facing up to $10 million in defamation damages to columnist Carroll after a jury last year found he sexually assaulted her
Earlier in the rally, Trump told climate protesters to ‘go home to mommy’ after they started heckling.
A group of environmental protesters interrupted Trump’s rally in Indianola, Iowa on Sunday, holding up banners accusing the former president of being a ‘climate criminal.’
The demonstrators were littered throughout the crowd, and were escorted out of a student union building where Trump was holding a final rally before Iowa’s caucuses on Monday.
Not only those backing Trump were inspired to come out in the -18-degree weather, but those opposing his candidacy also decided it was worth it to brave the cold.
‘Thank you darling, thank you. That’s alright,’ Trump said to the first protesters who interrupted the rally saying. ‘Go home to mommy, you’re mommy’s waiting. Go home to mommy.’
