Unexplained red marks on former President Donald Trump’s right hand went viral while the 45th president was en-route to his defamation trial against E. Jean Carroll on Wednesday.
Critics of Trump went berserk on social media over the image, speculating that the former president was diseased or dying.
“Does Donald Trump have early-stage leprosy?” asked one user.
“He carries ketchup packets with him so he can have mini tantrums. He forgot to wash it off,” wrote another.
Take a look —
That wasn’t the only big red flag: The judge in the case admonished Trump during the civil case and threatened to have him removed from the courtroom.
Judge Lewis A. Kaplan told the former president that his right to be present at the trial could be revoked during an explosive exchange on Wednesday. Carroll’s lawyer said Trump could be heard making remarks to his lawyers, including “it is a witch hunt” and “it really is a con job.”
“Mr. Trump, I hope I don’t have to consider excluding you from the trial,” Kaplan said in an exchange after the jury was excused for lunch, adding: “I understand you’re probably eager for me to do that.”
“I would love it,” Trump shot back, shrugging as he sat between lawyers Alina Habba and Michael Madaio at the defense table.
“I know you would like it. You just can’t control yourself in this circumstance, apparently,” Kaplan responded.
“You can’t either,” Trump muttered.
Kaplan cracked down after Carroll lawyer Shawn Crowley complained for a second time that Trump could be heard “loudly saying things that are false” as he sat at the defense table, frequently tilting back in his chair and leaning over to speak with his lawyer.
Among his comments, Crowley said, were that the longtime Elle magazine advice columnist was lying about the assault and that she seemed to have “gotten her memory back.” Crowley suggested that if Carroll’s lawyers could hear Trump from where they were sitting, about 12 feet (3.7 meters) from him, jurors might’ve been able to hear him too.
“I’m just going to ask that Mr. Trump take special care to keep his voice down when conferring with counsel to make sure the jury does not hear it,” Kaplan said before jurors returned to the courtroom after a morning break.
Earlier, without the jury in the courtroom, Trump could be seen slamming his hand on the defense table and uttering the word, “man,” when the judge again refused his lawyer’s request that the trial be suspended on Thursday so he could attend his mother-in-law’s funeral in Florida.
Carroll is seeking $10 million in compensatory damages and millions more in punitive damages in the civil case.
The Associated Press contributed to this article