US civil trial hears accusations that Trump sexually assaulted and severely damaged former columnist.
The US civil trial hearing a lawsuit against former US President Donald Trump was told on Tuesday that he raped a prominent former American columnist then “ridiculed” her with defamatory comments.
Trump, who denies the allegations, was represented by a lawyer who claimed that the plaintiff, E. Jean Carroll, was motivated by money and fame.
Carroll claims that Trump sexually assaulted her in a changing room at the luxury Bergdorf Goodman department store on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan in the mid-1990s.
The trial seeks to hold Trump legally liable for an allegation of sexual assault and is part of a barrage of legal woes that threaten to derail his 2024 run for a second presidential term.
Former US President Donald Trump is once again facing allegations of sexual assault, as the trial of a lawsuit brought by E. Jean Carroll began on Monday.
Carroll, a former magazine columnist, claims that Trump sexually assaulted her in a changing room at the Bergdorf Goodman department store in Manhattan in the mid-1990s. Trump, who denies the allegations, was represented by a lawyer who claimed that Carroll was motivated by money and fame.
The trial, which is taking place in a New York federal court, seeks to hold Trump legally liable for an allegation of sexual assault. Carroll’s lawyers argue that Trump’s denial of the assault is defamatory, and that he damaged her reputation by publicly calling her a liar. They are seeking damages of $75,000.
The lawsuit was filed in 2019, but has been delayed by legal wrangling over Trump’s claim that he cannot be sued while he was president. The case was allowed to proceed after a federal judge rejected Trump’s argument that he was acting in his official capacity when he denied the allegation.
The trial is part of a barrage of legal woes that threaten to derail Trump’s political career. He is facing multiple investigations and lawsuits, including a criminal investigation into his business dealings and a civil lawsuit over his role in the January 6th Capitol riot.
Trump’s lawyers have dismissed the Carroll lawsuit as a political attack, claiming that it is part of a broader effort by Democrats to undermine his presidency. They argue that Carroll’s allegations are false and that she is seeking to capitalize on her public profile by making false accusations against Trump.
Regardless of the outcome of the trial, the allegations against Trump are likely to continue to haunt him. They could damage his reputation and make it more difficult for him to run for office in the future. They could also embolden other women to come forward with similar allegations, further tarnishing his legacy.
The trial is expected to last for several weeks, and could provide a window into Trump’s behavior and attitudes towards women. It will also test the legal boundaries of presidential immunity, and could set a precedent for future cases involving sitting presidents.
