Donald Trump is truly something else. This Friday, a video and transcript of the former President’s deposition in the defamation case brought by writer E. Jean Carroll was released.
As it was previously mentioned, Carroll has accused Trump in a civil lawsuit of raping and defaming her. Carroll, who brought the lawsuit in November, alleged that Trump defamed her in his Truth Social post by calling her allegations “a Hoax” as well as “a lie.” He previously said, “This woman is not my type!” when he denied her claim that Trump raped her in a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room back in the 1990s.
Trump released a statement at the time saying, “The “story” by E. Jean Carroll, claiming she once encountered me at Bergdorf Goodman 23 years ago. I’ve never met this person in my life. She is trying to sell a new book—that should indicate her motivation. It should be sold in the fiction section. Shame on those who make up false stories of assault to try to get publicity for themselves, or sell a book, or carry out a political agenda—like Julie Swetnick who falsely accused Justice Brett Kavanaugh. It’s just as bad for people to believe it, particularly when there is zero evidence. Worse still for a dying publication to try to prop itself up by peddling fake news—it’s an epidemic.”
He continued, “Ms. Carroll & New York Magazine: No pictures? No surveillance? No video? No reports? No sales attendants around?? I would like to thank Bergdorf Goodman for confirming they have no video footage of any such incident, because it never happened. False accusations diminish the severity of real assault. All should condemn false accusations and any actual assault in the strongest possible terms.”
Despite denying those claims, in a 2005 “Access Hollywood” clip, which has often circulated online, Trump is overheard boasting to then-host Billy Bush about grabbing and kissing women… without consent. “You know, I’m automatically attracted to beautiful — I just start kissing them. It’s like a magnet. Just kiss. I don’t even wait,” Trump says on the tape, which was played for the jury. “And when you’re a star they let you do it … You can do anything.” “Whatever you want,” another voice on the tape is heard saying. Trump then adds, “Grab them by the p—-. You can do anything.”
Now, in the deposition, Trump says “that over the last million years, unfortunately, or fortunately,” people who are considered “stars” could grab women sexually… without their consent. The deposition, which was taken back in October at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Florida club, was made public a day after Carroll’s lawyers rested their case at the trial. Trump’s lawyers presented no witnesses of their own.
What’s Next In This Case?
Closing statements in the civil trial are set to take place on Monday. On Tuesday, the judge is then expected to charge the jury followed by the start of deliberations.
This month’s trial is taking place as Trump seeks the White House for a third time, even despite recently being arrested while also facing numerous legal challenges related to the Jan. 6 Capitol attack, his handling of classified material after exiting the White House, as well possible attempts to interfere in Georgia’s 2020 vote.