Trump Faces Defamation Trial Over Rape Accusation

In a New York defamation trial, Donald Trump testified in his defense against accusations made by E. Jean Carroll, who alleges that he sexually assaulted her in the 1990s. Carroll is seeking over $10 million in damages.

In a New York defamation trial, former President Donald Trump took the stand on Thursday to determine the damages he may owe advice columnist E. Jean Carroll for dismissing her as a liar after she publicly accused him of rape in 2019. Trump's testimony lasted less than three minutes, during which he asserted, "I just wanted to defend myself."

Carroll's Lawsuit and Trump's Denial

Carroll, seeking over USD 10 million in damages, was present in the courtroom as Trump was sworn in as a witness in Manhattan federal court. She alleges that Trump damaged her reputation when he publicly denied her accusation of sexual abuse in a memoir published in 2019. Trump, 77, has vehemently denied the allegations for the past five years and continues to attack Carroll, 80, on the campaign trail as he seeks the presidency as the Republican frontrunner.

Jury's Instructions and Trump's Interruption

US District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan in Manhattan has instructed jurors to accept the findings of another New York jury that awarded Carroll USD 5 million after concluding that Trump sexually abused Carroll at the Bergdorf Goodman store and defamed her in October 2022 statements. Trump did not attend that trial.

The trial, which began last week and featured testimony by Carroll, focuses solely on statements Trump made in June 2019 while he was president. These claims had been delayed for four years due to appeals.

Shortly after Trump's attorney Alina Habba made an announcement outside the jury's presence, Trump could be heard saying aloud, "I never met the woman. I don't know who the woman is. I wasn't at the trial." This prompted Judge Kaplan to respond, "I'm sorry Mr. Trump. You're interrupting these proceedings. ... That is not permitted."

Trump's Expected Testimony and Defense Strategy

Habba informed the Manhattan federal court judge that Trump would be her last witness after a lunch break and that she planned to ask him only three questions to establish that he was addressing Carroll's claims in a memoir in 2019 and that he did not intend to harm her with his statements.

Judge Kaplan reminded lawyers of the limits he had placed on Trump's testimony, including that he not be permitted to testify in a way that conflicts with or argues against the USD 5 million jury verdict last year that found Trump sexually assaulted Carroll in a Manhattan luxury department store dressing room in spring 1996 and then defamed her in 2022.

Carroll's Lawyers Present Video Clips

Trump's lawyers began his defense on Thursday with the expectation that he would be called as a witness to fight the lawsuit. Trump's testimony was announced after Carroll's lawyers finished presenting their case by showing jurors video clips of the Republican front-runner in this year's presidential race saying at a January 17 campaign rally that Carroll's claims were a "made-up, fabricated story" and a 2022 deposition deriding her as "a liar and a very sick person."

Trial Focused on 2019 Statements

The trial that began last week is the penalty phase of a defamation lawsuit over statements Trump made while president in 2019, when he claimed Carroll was lying to sell books and interfere politically.

Judge Kaplan has instructed jurors to accept the findings of another jury that last May concluded Trump sexually abused Carroll in 1996 and defamed her with statements in October 2022 similar to those he made in 2019. That jury awarded Carroll USD 5 million.

Trump's Previous Behavior and Restrictions

Trump, 77, attended the trial two of three days last week and let the jury know — through muttered comments and gestures like shaking his head — that he was disgusted with the case against him.

After Carroll's lawyers rested on Thursday, Habba asked for a directed verdict in Trump's favor, saying that it was clear from Carroll's testimony that there was insufficient proof to allow the jury to find damages.

Carroll's Witness and Video Evidence

Prior to resting, Carroll's lawyers called a single witness — Roberta Myers — who testified that Carroll was a "truthteller," an accomplished writer with a long history of unleashing a "tremendous amount of empathy and a great sense of humor" in her popular monthly advice column while Myers was editor-in-chief of Elle magazine from 2000 to 2017.

It was after her testimony that Carroll's attorneys showed the video clips, including portions of Trump's October 2022 deposition when he denied knowing who Carroll was.

Trump's Potential Testimony and Challenges

If everything goes as planned, Trump could be on the witness stand before the end of the day. Trump, fresh off big victories in the New Hampshire primary on Tuesday and the Iowa caucuses last week, appeared relatively subdued in court compared to his appearances last week. He mostly gazed straight ahead, expressionless, though he seemed to move his lips along with the movement of his mouth in the video showing him saying the trial was rigged.

The trial had been suspended since early Monday because of a juror's illness. When it resumed Thursday, the judge said two jurors were being "socially distanced" from the others in the jury box.

Trump denies ever knowing Carroll, 80. He did not testify or attend last year's trial, a decision he now says he regrets.

At the current trial, Trump has already tested the judge's patience. After he complained to his lawyers last week about a "witch hunt" and a "con job" within earshot of jurors, Kaplan threatened to eject him from the courtroom if it happened again. "I would love it," Trump said. Later that day, Trump told a news conference Kaplan was a "nasty judge and that Carroll's allegation was "a made-up, fabricated story."

Defense Strategy and Potential Testimony

Trump's attorneys have tried to show the jury through their cross-examination of witnesses that Carroll has gained a measure of fame and financial rewards through taking on Trump that outweigh the death threats and other venom slung at her through social media.

Habba has told the judge that he might testify because, even with the judge's restrictions, "he can still offer considerable testimony in his defense."

Among other things, he can testify about his state of mind when he made the statements that got him sued and about how his comments came as Carroll was doing media interviews and journalists were asking him about her, Habba wrote.

She also suggested he could "show his lack of ill will or spite" by talking about how he "corrected" his initial denial of having ever met Carroll.

The current trial is in addition to four criminal cases Trump faces as the presidential primary season heats up. He has been juggling court and campaign appearances, using both to argue that he's being persecuted by Democrats terrified of his possible election.