Trump found guilty of sexual abuse and defamation in landmark trial

Trump's defense falls flat as former reporters and witnesses corroborate sexual assault allegations
Trump found guilty of sexual abuse and defamation in landmark trial

According to a recent jury decision, former U.S. President Donald Trump must pay $5 million in damages to magazine writer E. Jean Carroll for sexually assaulting her in the 1990s and subsequently defaming her by publicly labeling her a liar. Carroll expressed her satisfaction with the verdict, stating that it was not just a victory for her but for all women who have suffered due to a lack of belief in their experiences. Trump's attorney, Joseph Tacopina, indicated that his client plans to appeal the decision as he seeks to regain the presidency in 2024. During the civil trial, Carroll testified that Trump raped her in a Bergdorf Goodman department store dressing room in Manhattan in 1995 or 1996. Trump was not present during the trial, but he publicly dismissed Carroll's claims on his Truth Social platform, calling them a "complete con job," "a hoax," and "a lie." In response to the verdict, Trump again denied the allegations, calling the decision a "disgrace" and insisting that he does not know who Carroll is.

As a civil case, Trump will not face any criminal repercussions, and therefore, there was no possibility of imprisonment. The jury consisted of six men and three women who had to arrive at a unanimous verdict, which they did after deliberating for just under three hours. They awarded E. Jean Carroll $5 million in compensatory and punitive damages, but Trump will not have to pay unless the case is overturned on appeal. In April, when Trump filed his financial disclosures with election regulators, he only provided rough estimates of his wealth, with over a dozen properties listed as worth "over $50 million" each. Despite the controversies surrounding him, Trump continues to lead in Republican presidential nomination polls, and his core supporters remain loyal.

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Given the current polarized political climate in the United States, it is unlikely that the civil verdict against Trump will have any significant impact on his core supporters, who view his legal troubles as a deliberate attempt by his opponents to weaken him. Republican strategist Charlie Gerow from Pennsylvania stated that "anti-Trump" individuals will continue to hold their opinions, while "core pro-Trump voters" are unlikely to change their minds. Gerow further stated that any negative impact would be minimal and only affect moderate Republicans and suburban women. Trump has leveraged the Carroll trial to solicit campaign donations, framing it as part of a larger Democratic conspiracy against him. He has accused Carroll, a registered Democrat and former columnist for Elle magazine, of fabricating her allegations to boost sales of her 2019 memoir and harm him politically. Trump's poll numbers actually improved after he was charged last month with falsifying business records regarding a payment made to a porn star before the 2016 presidential election. He is the first U.S. president to be criminally charged, and he has pleaded not guilty while alleging political motivations behind the charges.

Democratic strategist Lis Smith noted that it remains to be seen whether the verdict in Carroll's case will make Trump unappealing to Republican voters beyond his base and compel them to unite around another candidate. The trial included testimony from Natasha Stoynoff, a former reporter for People magazine, who stated that Trump forcibly kissed her for several minutes at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida in 2005. Jessica Leeds, another woman, testified that Trump kissed and groped her, and put his hand up her skirt on a flight in 1979. Jurors were also presented with excerpts from a 2005 "Access Hollywood" video in which Trump boasted about sexually assaulting women, saying that they "let [him] grab 'em by the pussy." In an October 2022 video deposition played in court, Trump claimed that such behavior was historically common among celebrities over "the last million years," and he has consistently denied allegations of sexual misconduct.

Trump found guilty of sexual abuse and defamation in landmark trial

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