Donald Trump Brands NY Judge An 'Animal' Over Melania's Mother's Funeral Issue

During a recent campaign event, former U.S. President Donald Trump heavily praised his late mother-in-law Amalija Knavs, calling her an "incredible woman."

He also continued his verbal attack of New York judge Lewis Kaplan, calling him an "animal" for denying his request to postpone his E. Jean Carroll defamation trial so he could attend Knavs' funeral.

During one of his campaign events before the upcoming Iowa caucus, Donald Trump paid tribute to Amalija Knavs, his late mother-in-law. He told attendees of the event that Knavs was an "incredible woman" with "great beauty" within her.

Melania Trump announced that Knavs passed away last week after a sickness. The funeral is scheduled for Thursday in Florida, but Trump's attendance isn't confirmed after New York federal judge Lewis Kaplan denied his request to postpone his trial for a week.

Trump is scheduled to begin his defamation trial against E. Jean Carroll this week to determine how much damages he owes her. He's facing up to $10 million in damages after a jury found him guilty of sexual assault last year.

During his campaign event, Trump declared that he wanted to attend the funeral to offer Melania emotional support during the service. According to the Daily Mail, he told the crowd, "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."

He called Judge Kaplan an "animal" for denying his request and said it was all planned to "hurt" him. Trump further said, "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."

The crowd at Trump's rally got fired up as he claimed that the trials were a conspiracy and plot against him. They agreed, as the businessman added, "I don't think the people are going to fall for it."

Trump told the crowd that he actually wants to "support" Melania at the funeral because she's not "supposed to stand there alone." He said, "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.'"

The billionaire then ranted about how the multiple ongoing trials scheduled against him are planned to damage his campaign. He claimed they began when he emerged as the frontrunner for the Republicans in the upcoming presidential race.

Trump said, "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."

During the rally, Trump also jeered at a group of climate protesters who mocked him as he spoke. The protesters interrupted the Indianola campaign with banners accusing Trump of being a "climate criminal" and telling him to be more responsible with the environment.

The protesters spread through the crowd and were removed from the Student Union building. When they started heckling, Trump said, "Thank you darling, thank you. That's alright. Go home to mommy, your mommy's waiting. Go home to mommy."

Before his latest attack on Judge Kaplan, Trump shared a lengthy rant on his social media app, Truth Social, where he branded the judge a "bad person" for refusing to postpone his E. Jean Carroll trial by a week.

In his rant, the ex-president claimed that he needed to attend the funeral to offer support to his wife, Melania, as she grieves her mother.

According to The Independent, he slammed Kaplan and his refusal to delay his trial, saying the judge presided over a trial that's a disguise for an "Election Interference Witch Hunt."

He wrote that Kaplan "was asked if he could delay this Rigged Political Scam for one day so that I could attend the FUNERAL OF MY BELOVED MOTHER-IN-LAW WITH MY WIFE, THE FORMER (AND NEXT!) FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES — AND HE SAID NO."

Trump noted that former President Clinton appointed Kaplan and that they deliberately "scheduled this HOAX right in the middle of the important New Hampshire Primary."

He added, "This is the second trial concerning the same person, who is represented and financed by POLITICAL OPERATIVES. It could have taken place at any time, including months ago. Can anyone imagine a husband not going to his wife's mother's funeral over a MADE UP STORY."