TOP NEWS: "E Jean Carroll Testifies in Donald Trump Rape and Defamation Trial"

A former columnist for Elle magazine, E. Jean Carroll, testified in a New York civil rape and defamation trial against former President Donald Trump. The trial concerns allegations that Trump raped Carroll nearly 30 years ago in a Manhattan department store. Carroll claims that the assault took place in the mid-1990s after Trump approached her at the Bergdorf Goodman store and asked if she would help him buy a gift for a friend. Carroll testified that Trump had accosted her and raped her in a dressing room.
During the trial, Carroll stated that she had launched the case "to try and get my life back," as she had been unable to have a romantic life since the alleged assault. She went on to say that she was there "because Donald Trump raped me, and when I wrote about it, he lied and said it didn't happen," and that "He lied and shattered my reputation, and I'm here to try and get my life back."
Carroll's allegations against Trump were first made public in a 2019 book by Carroll called "What Do We Need Men For? A Modest Proposal." In response to the allegations, Trump denied that the assault ever took place and accused Carroll of lying for political reasons. Carroll has said that she told two friends about the attack, who gave conflicting advice about whether she should go public with her story.
During her testimony, Carroll described how the encounter with Trump began with flirtatious banter, but quickly turned into an assault. She said that Trump had followed her into the dressing room and closed the door behind them, after which he held her against the wall and raped her. She tried to push him off, but the encounter was over within minutes, and she quickly left the department store.
Carroll's lawyer appeared to anticipate questions she may face from Trump's team, including whether she was motivated to sue the former president for political reasons. Carroll, who has voted only for Democratic candidates, said she was not. Subscribe for more content like this.

The trial is expected to last two weeks, and Carroll is seeking unspecified damages from Trump. In 2022, New York passed the Adult Survivors Act, which allowed a one-year period for victims to file sexual assault lawsuits in the state over claims that would have otherwise exceeded statute limitations.
Trump, who is running in the 2024 presidential election, has repeatedly denied the allegations made by Carroll and has called her account a "fraudulent and false story." On Wednesday, he took to his social media website to call her account into question, writing "She didn't scream? There are no witnesses? Nobody saw this?" US District Judge Lewis Kaplan admonished Trump's legal team for their client's behavior and said the post was "a public statement that, on the face of it, seems entirely inappropriate." Trump's lawyer, Joe Tacopina, told the judge he would ask his client to "refrain from any further posts on this case."
The trial has drawn widespread attention as it comes at a time when sexual assault allegations against high-profile individuals are being taken more seriously than ever before. It remains to be seen what the outcome of the trial will be, but it is clear that the case has put the issue of sexual assault back in the public eye and sparked an important conversation about accountability and justice for survivors. Thanks for watching, subscribe our channel for authenticity.