The trial to determine whether former US President Donald Trump raped writer E. Jean Carroll more than two decades ago and then defamed her by claiming she made up the story has come to an end. On Tuesday, jurors began deliberating after seven days of a civil trial in Manhattan federal court.
During the trial, Carroll’s lawyer, Roberta Kaplan, argued that a 2005 “Access Hollywood” video in which Trump says women let him “grab ’em by the pussy” bolstered the accounts of Carroll and other women who have accused Trump of sexual assault. Two of Carroll’s longtime friends testified that she told them about the attack shortly after it occurred and said they believed her. Jurors also heard from two other women who said Trump sexually assaulted them in separate incidents decades ago. Trump denies those claims as well.
Carroll, 79, claims that Trump, 76, raped her in a dressing room at the Bergdorf Goodman department store in Manhattan in 1995 or 1996 and then defamed her by denying it happened. The former Elle magazine advice columnist is seeking unspecified monetary damages. Her defamation claim concerns an October 2022 post on Trump’s Truth Social platform in which he called her allegations a “complete con job” and “a Hoax and a lie.”
Trump, the front-runner in the 2024 Republican presidential field, has denied raping Carroll and accused her of making up the story to drive sales of a 2019 memoir in which she made her claims public. On Tuesday, Trump posted a message on his Truth Social platform, claiming that “despite being a current political candidate and leading all others in both parties,” he was not “allowed to speak or defend himself” against what he called a false accusation.
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“I will, therefore, not speak until after the trial but will appeal the Unconstitutional silencing of me as a candidate, no matter the outcome!”
During closing arguments, Kaplan said that Trump’s defense was asking jurors to believe the “ridiculous” claim that the other witnesses conspired to lie. “Three different women, decades apart, but one single pattern of behavior,” Kaplan said.
Trump opted not to present a defense at trial, gambling that jurors would find Carroll failed to make a persuasive case. During closing arguments, Trump’s lawyer, Joe Tacopina, told jurors that the haziness of Carroll’s account made it impossible for Trump to defend himself.
“With no date, no month, no year, you can’t present an alibi, you can’t call witnesses,” Tacopina said. “What they want is for you to hate him enough to ignore the facts.”
The outcome of the trial could have significant implications for Trump’s political career and reputation. While Trump’s lawyers have argued that he is protected by presidential immunity, legal experts say such immunity does not extend to actions taken before or after a president’s term.
If the jury favors Carroll, it could open the door to other women who have accused Trump of sexual assault to pursue legal action against him. It could also impact his standing in the Republican Party, which has largely remained loyal to him despite his controversial past.
As the trial continues, the public and media closely monitor the proceedings and await the verdict. The outcome of this case could have far-reaching consequences, not just for Donald Trump but for the issue of sexual assault and harassment in America more broadly.