‘I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA WHO THIS WOMAN IS’: Furious Trump says E. Jean Carroll’s sexual abuse verdict is a ‘disgrace’ – and a ‘continuation of greatest witch hunt of all time’ in caps Truth Social post
- A New York jury found Trump guilty of sexual assault, assault and libel
- Awarded magazine writer $5 million
- Trump said he had ‘no idea’ who the accuser is and called it a ‘witch hunt’
Former President Donald Trump made an angry post minutes after a New York jury found he had committed sexual abuse and defamed E. Jean Carroll — claiming he had “no idea” who the woman who had his rape trial was tightened.
Trump again called the whole case a “hoax,” after a jury of six men and three women found he committed sexual abuse and assault and also defamed Carroll.
The jury ruled that Trump should pay her $5 million.
“I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA WHO THIS WOMAN IS,” Trump wrote in capital letters on his Truth Social website. “THIS VERDICT IS A SHAME – A CONTINUATION OF THE GREATEST WITCH-HUNT OF ALL TIME!”
“I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA WHO THIS WOMAN IS,” former President Donald Trump wrote after the verdict
His blast came about 40 minutes after the jury did not find he raped Carroll, but found him liable for sexual assault, battery, and libel.
Trump’s statement that he did not know Carroll’s identity came after he failed to properly identify her in what may have been a key moment of the trial.
During his videotaped statement, Carroll attorney Roberta Kramer had Trump look at a black and white photo to identify the group, which included himself.
When asked to identify a woman in the photo, Trump replied, “That’s Marla, that’s my wife.”
Only with his lawyer’s wife, Alina Habba, did Trump find out that it is indeed Carroll.
‘I don’t even know who the woman is. Let’s see, I don’t know who — it’s Marla,” Trump said.
That prompted Roberta Kaplan to interject: “You say Marla is in this picture?
‘That’s Marla, yes. That’s, that’s my wife.’
Trump has previously said he didn’t know who Carroll is, and may have believed it spoke of his belief that she was making false accusations against him.
But the exchange undermined the certainty of Trump’s memory of the era — as well as undermining his claim that his accuser was not “my type.”
Kaplan later told him, “I take it the three women you married are all your type?”
“Yes,” Trump replied.
Trump’s irate post came hours after another angry post that came before the jury reached a verdict.
“Waiting for a jury decision on a false accusation where, despite being a current political candidate and leading everyone else in both parties, I am not allowed to speak or defend myself, even as persistent reporters shout questions at me about this case, Trump said.
“Meanwhile, the other party has a book falsely accusing me of rape and is cooperating with the press. I will therefore only speak after the trial, but will appeal against the unconstitutional silence of me, as a candidate, regardless of the outcome!’
Trump’s statement about not being allowed to speak or defend was incorrect. The trial judge, Lewis A. Kaplan, gave the defense the opportunity to put Trump on the stand.
After Trump told reporters in Ireland he was cutting short his trip to come home and “confront” Carroll, the judge gave his legal team extra time to call witnesses in case Trump wanted to take the stand.
In the end, his lawyers allowed the jury to get its key impressions of Trump through his videotaped statement, where he had tense confrontations with Carroll’s attorney, and the infamous “Access Hollywood” tape.
Attorney Jonathan Turley, who appeared as a Republican witness during Trump’s second Senate impeachment trial, told Fox News that Trump’s failure to appear — and Carroll’s attorney’s ability to draw a negative inference from it in civil court — as a potentially critical juncture in the process.