Donald Trump Found Guilty Of Sexually Abusing Jean Carroll

Donald Trump was Tuesday found guilty of sexually abusing E. Jean Carroll in 1996 and was ordered to pay $5 million for sexual battery and defamation, marking a significant loss for him.

The United States of America’s former president said he plans to appeal a Manhattan federal jury’s verdict. Trump posted videos on his social media platform, Truth Social, declaring the trial “very unfair,” and denied knowing Carroll. He said:

Somehow we’re going to have to fight this stuff. We cannot let our country go into this abyss. This is disgraceful.

A Manhattan federal jury heard E. Jean Carroll’s allegations that Donald Trump raped her in a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room in 1996 and defamed her in a social media post. Trump denied the allegations and called the verdict a “total disgrace.”

Carroll filed the lawsuit under the New York State Adult Survivors Act, which allows sexual assault allegations with long-expired statutes of limitation. The jury had to determine whether Carroll’s legal team proved battery and defamation by the preponderance of the evidence. They had to be unanimous and could have reached different verdicts on each claim.

Effect on Re-election Bid:

Donald Trump’s critics are using the verdict of the E. Jean Carroll civil lawsuit as evidence that he is not fit to hold public office, which could be a huge blow to Trump’s re-election bid. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy would not say whether he would still support Trump after the verdict. Some Republican lawmakers have stated that the verdict may affect Trump’s electability, with Sen. Mitt Romney hoping it will lead people to conclude that he is not fit for office. However, others, like Rep. Matt Gaetz, do not believe that the verdict will make much of a difference in the election. Several senators have dismissed the New York legal system and questioned the jury.

E. Jean Carroll called the outcome of her civil lawsuit against Donald Trump a victory for herself and other abuse victims. A jury found Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation. Carroll said the victory is not just for her, but for all women who were not believed. Her lawyer, Roberta Kaplan, praised her determination and courage. Kaplan hopes the verdict will help survivors of sexual assault and tear down the wall of doubt and intimidation they face. She called it a victory for democracy itself and for all survivors.

Donald Trump’s attorney, Joe Tacopina, called the jury’s decision in the civil trial a “strange verdict” because the jury rejected the rape claim against Trump. While the jury found Trump liable for battery, they did not find that E. Jean Carroll proved he raped her. Tacopina said they would appeal the verdict and Trump believes he cannot get a fair trial in New York City based on the jury pool. Tacopina said there were many issues for an appeal, including things that happened in the case that were “beyond the pale.” Trump will not face jail time as a result of the civil verdict.

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