On Monday, E. Jean Carroll, the writer who accused Donald Trump of rape, testified in a Manhattan court in a case where she is accusing Trump of defamation. The lawsuit was filed in November 2019, after Trump denied Carroll’s rape accusation and publicly stated that she was lying, which, she claims, damaged her reputation. Trump asked the Justice Department to represent him, but in June of this year, the Department ruled that the former president could not be defended under the cloak of his office.
During Carroll’s testimony, her attorney, Roberta Kaplan, asked her about the aftermath of going public with her allegations. Carroll explained, “Every woman thinks about her reputation.” “Every woman wants to be relaxed about sex, wants to feel comfortable about it, wants to feel like it was a good experience,” Carroll said. “And it’s very hard for women to know that men think of sex as a prize and women do have to guard their reputations.” She also talked about how, since going public with the accusation, people in elevators and on the streets give her a “look” that says, “Oh, there’s the crazy lady who said Trump raped her.”
Carroll has been described as a “complicated” witness in the case by legal experts. Trump’s lawyers have challenged Carroll’s credibility and have suggested that the case is politically motivated. In his deposition, which was shown in court on Wednesday, Trump denied the allegations, calling them “the most ridiculous, disgusting story.” Trump also argued that if the incident happened, it would have been reported “within minutes.”
The trial is expected to continue until next week. If Carroll wins the case, she is seeking unspecified money damages.
