E. Jean Carroll Testifies in Second Trump Defamation Lawsuit

E. Jean Carroll testified Wednesday that former President Donald Trump ruined her reputation after she accused him of sexual assault.

For Context: Carroll claims Trump raped her in a department store in the 1990s. This is the second defamation lawsuit against Trump brought by Carroll. In May 2023, a jury found Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation toward Carroll. The defamation in the previous lawsuit pertained to statements made by Trump in 2022. This defamation lawsuit pertains to statements made by Trump in 2019 when he was president. The statements in question have already been deemed defamatory by a judge.

Key Quotes: Carroll stated before the jury, “I am here because Donald Trump assaulted me, and when I wrote about it, he said it never happened. He lied, and it shattered my reputation.” During Carroll’s testimony, Trump was heard stating, “that’s not true,” “it’s a witch hunt,” and more. This led the judge to threaten to remove Trump from the courtroom, to which Trump replied that he “would love” for that to happen.

How the Media Covered It: Outlets focused heavily on Trump’s comments during Carroll’s testimony. The Daily Beast (Left bias) reported that Trump “turned the defense table into a peanut gallery.” Coverage from Fox News (Right bias), which pulled from a report from the Associated Press (Lean Left bias), omitted certain context included in the AP report, such as the fact that a jury found Trump liable for sexual abuse against Carroll last year.