Guilty of sexual abuse, according to the verdict against Donald Trump. The plaintiff calls it a “victory for every woman”, Trump sees himself as a victim of a “witch hunt”. What it means for his political ambitions is unclear.
“We’re very happy” – that’s all attorney Roberta Kaplan calls out to those waiting as she leads her client out of the courthouse by the hand. E. Jeanne Carroll laughs freely behind her big sunglasses. The elegant woman in the light-colored suit appears fragile, no matter how hard she tries to walk upright and strong. “You are so strong and beautiful, thank you,” some onlookers call out to her. “We have so much respect for you.”
It took the jury less than three hours to reach its historic decision: The independently selected lay judges in Manhattan federal court consider it proven that Donald Trump sexually abused former fashion magazine author Carroll. They awarded the plaintiff five million dollars in damages for personal injury and defamation. The jury rejected the allegation of rape.
Calling the verdict a “victory not just for me but for every woman”: E. Jean Carroll exiting the courthouse.
“It was absolutely against my will”
US author Carroll accused Trump of raping her in the dressing room of a New York department store in the mid-1990s. “He pulled my tights off, it was a struggle,” Carroll said in a 2019 CNN interview, adding, “I want all women to know I wasn’t just standing there, I wasn’t paralyzed – I was fighting . It ended quickly. It was absolutely against my will. And I ran away – out.”
The columnist for the magazine “Elle” had already made her accusation against the then president public in 2019. Trump then accused her of lying. Carroll was “not his type,” he said disparagingly in a 2022 hearing. However, he later mistook Carroll for his ex-wife in photos shown to him. Trump testified under oath in 2022: He knew nothing about her, she was mentally ill.
New law made trial possible
Carroll initially sued Trump for defamation. Last year she then filed an additional lawsuit – because of the alleged rape itself. This was made possible by a new law in the state of New York. It allows alleged rape victims to sue alleged perpetrators for damages regardless of the statute of limitations.
During the Manhattan trial, two other women testified that they had experienced sexual assault by Trump. He himself stayed away from the civil trial that started at the end of April. Trump’s lawyer Joe Tacopina spoke to journalists about a “strange” verdict: “It was a rape lawsuit. The jury rejected it but came to different conclusions. We will contest them.”
Trump repeats “witch hunt” accusation
Trump himself railed after the jury’s decision on the Truth Social platform he co-founded. This verdict is “a disgrace”. It is a sequel to the “greatest witch hunt of all time”. And Trump repeated with regard to plaintiff Carroll: He has absolutely no idea who this woman is.
Trump has been accused of sexual misconduct, including rape, by numerous women. He has always denied such allegations. With the most recent verdict, the ex-president is being held legally responsible for this for the first time. Carroll’s attorney Kaplan appealed to the jury in her closing argument: Trump must be held accountable for his actions because even an ex-president is not above the law.
His attorney Tacopina, on the other hand, said Trump did not believe he would get a fair trial with a fair jury in democratic New York. That’s not entirely unreasonable, said former New York prosecutor Annemarie McAvoy ARD Studio New York. In New York there would be maybe ten Democrats for every Republican – and New York Republicans would not necessarily like Trump. “So here in New York, it’s more likely that a jury will find him guilty.”
Judgment could cost votes – or bring in
Trump wants to become US President again in 2024 and is applying for the Republican nomination – he describes legal action against him in a number of cases as politically motivated. It is possible that this verdict – and also the bad press – received the votes of some conservative voters withdraws, says lawyer McAvoy. It is also possible that this gives the women’s allegations against him more credibility.
But it is just as possible that Trump will benefit politically from the verdict. “Those who support him, who see the whole thing as a witch hunt against him and who are critical of the New York jury, could now say: ‘We need Trump, we have to protect him. He deserves to be elected back to office’.”
A series of other investigations
Most recently, Trump’s poll numbers in internal party polls had risen. He was well ahead of other potential Republican candidates. However, there are numerous other investigations against him: Last month, Trump was also criminally charged in New York for concealed hush money payments to a porn actress. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has accused him of increasing his chances in the 2016 presidential election and violating election laws.
There are further investigations against him – for example because of his role in the storming of the US Capitol. In the state of Georgia, the local prosecutor is investigating whether Trump is guilty of attempted election interference. She wants to decide in the summer whether she will press charges.