Donald Trump will not testify in rape trial in New York

Former US president Donald Trump will not testify at a civil trial in New York in which a writer has accused him of raping her in a department store changing room nearly 30 years ago.

Mr Trump did not file a last-minute request to give evidence that had been offered by the judge in the case.

The civil trial may now conclude in the coming days.

E Jean Carroll, a former magazine columnist, alleges Mr Trump raped her in the Bergdorf Goodman department store in the mid-1990s.

The former president has denied the claim strongly. He contended that Ms Carroll “wasn’t his type” and suggested she made up the story.

Mr Trump legally waived his right to testify in his own defence.

However, the judge in the case, Lewis Kaplan, allowed the former president time over the weekend to change his mind about testifying if he wished.

The judge gave Mr Trump’s legal team until 5pm local time in New York on Sunday to petition the court to reopen the defence case for the sole purpose of allowing their client to testify.

The judge said he ordered the precautionary measure in light of comments made by Mr Trump on Thursday during his visit to Ireland.

Mr Trump suggested to reporters at his golf course in Co Clare that he would make an appearance in court before the trial ended.

Mr Trump said that he would “probably attend” the trial. “I have to go back for a woman that made a false accusation about me, and I have a judge who is extremely hostile,” the former US president said.

Mr Trump’s lawyer tried repeatedly to reassure Mr Kaplan that his client would not take the stand and suggested he had an idea about what it was like to represent the former president.

“I know you understand what I am dealing with,” lawyer Joe Tacopina told the judge, according to a court transcript.

If Mr Trump does not change his mind, the parties are set to give closing arguments to the jury at 10am local time on Monday.