Former President Donald Trump reacted strongly on Tuesday after a Manhattan jury found the 2024 Republican presidential candidate liable for sexually abusing and defaming writer E. Jean Carroll.
“I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA WHO THIS WOMAN IS. THIS VERDICT IS A DISGRACE – A CONTINUATION OF THE GREATEST WITCH HUNT OF ALL TIME!” Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social after the verdict was released.
The case involves Carroll, 79, who alleges Trump raped her in the Bergdorf Goodman department store in the 1990s. Due to the statute of limitations, Trump could not be prosecuted for the alleged rape; however, Carroll pursued a civil claim of battery, which is allowed under a new state law enacted late last year.
In addition to battery, Carroll also accused Trump of defaming her when he called her allegations made up. While the jury found Trump liable for both battery and defamation, it rejected Carroll’s allegations of rape.
Since 2019, Trump has repeatedly denied the Carroll’s accusations.
“I’ll say it with great respect: Number one, she’s not my type. Number two, it never happened. It never happened, OK?” Trump told The Hill four years ago when asked about the allegations.
Earlier Tuesday, Trump claimed the Democrats don’t want him to run for president in 2024 after a new survey showed the 45th president beating President Joe Biden by 7 points in a potential rematch.
“The Democrats are the Party of disinformation. When they say something, it usually means they want the opposite, like in the upcoming 2024 Election. They say the want TRUMP to be their opponent, but they don’t mean it,” Trump posted. “That’s why they are viciously Persecuting me in every court in the land, because they DON’T want to run against me. They want anybody else! Also, the Polls have me leading big against Biden. I won twice, doing much better the second time, & now I’ll do it a third! Explain to WSJ!”
