Trump says judge is 'an animal' for not moving trial date so he could attend mother-in-law's funeral

Former President Donald Trump paid tribute at an Iowa campaign event to his mother-in-law, Amalija Knavs, who recently passed away after an illness at age 78.

He also called the judge of a civil defamation trial an "animal" because he refused to move the trial date a week later so that Trump could attend the funeral with his family and support his wife, Melania.

"My wife's mother, who was incredible and a great beauty inside and out -- incredible woman -- she just died," Trump said to a crowd in Indianola on Sunday.

"And my wife was pretty devastated by that. I have a trial going on, a totally fake trial," he added. "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?" he went on.

Trump said he would be at the funeral "one way or another" but didn't elaborate. The trial was set to start on Tuesday for additional defamation charges against E. Jean Carroll, who claims Trump raped her in a clothing store dressing room.