Former President Donald Trump appeared in a New York courtroom on Thursday to provide testimony in the defamation trial brought by writer E. Jean Carroll, who alleges that Trump sexually assaulted her in a department store in the mid-1990s.
According to The Daily Beast’s report on Thursday, January 25, 2024, Trump’s testimony, which lasted only about four minutes, was marked by objections, interruptions, and rebukes from the judge.
Carroll, a former magazine columnist, claims that Trump raped her in a dressing room at Bergdorf Goodman in spring 1996 and then defamed her as a liar when she publicly disclosed her claim in a 2019 memoir.
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Trump, vehemently denying the accusations for the past five years, faces a civil lawsuit seeking over $10 million in damages from Carroll.
This trial, the second in Carroll’s case, commenced last week. In November 2023, a jury found Trump sexually abused and defamed Carroll in October 2022 statements, awarding her $5 million. Trump, who did not attend that trial, has appealed the verdict.
The ongoing trial focuses on Trump’s statements in June 2019, when he was president, delayed for four years by appeals.
Accompanied by his legal team and security personnel, Trump, 77, arrived at the Manhattan federal court on Thursday morning, encountering a crowd of protesters and supporters outside the courthouse, some chanting “Lock him up!” and “Justice for E. Jean!”.
In the courtroom, Trump, sworn in as a witness by Judge Lewis A. Kaplan, faced questions from his attorney, Alina Habba, about his relationship with Carroll, his whereabouts in 1996, and his comments in 2019.
However, Trump’s testimony was brief and vague, frequently interrupted by objections from Carroll’s attorney, Roberta Kaplan, and warnings from Judge Kaplan.
Trump claimed he never met Carroll, did not know who she was, and was not at the trial, expressing his intention to defend himself, his family, and the presidency.
Carroll’s attorney objected to these statements as irrelevant, prejudicial, and false. Judge Kaplan agreed, instructing the jury to disregard them and admonishing Trump for speaking out of turn, threatening removal if he didn’t follow the rules.
After about four minutes, Trump’s attorney concluded her questioning, and Carroll’s attorney chose not to cross-examine him.
Exiting the stand, Trump muttered, “This is not America. This is not America.”
Carroll, 80, present in the courtroom, expressed frustration with Trump’s testimony, stating he was lying and attempting to evade accountability. She hoped the jury would see through his deception and award her the deserved damages.
The trial is set to resume on Friday with more witnesses and evidence from both sides. The jury will then deliberate on the defamation damages Trump may owe Carroll. The verdict holds significance for Trump’s political and legal future amid other lawsuits and investigations related to his conduct and finances.
