Introduction

A civil jury in New York has found that former president Donald Trump sexually assaulted and defamed the writer E. Jean Carroll. Today on “Post Reports,” we talk about the evidence, the possible political consequences and why this trial happened.

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Jurors deliberated for less than three hours before siding with Carroll, awarding her a combined $5 million in damages. She testified during the trial that Trump violently assaulted her in the mid-1990s and inflicted further trauma by ridiculing her when she spoke out, calling her a liar and saying that she wasn’t “his type.”

That claim became central in the trial because Trump mistook an old photo of Carroll for a photo of his ex-wife in his deposition. Combined with the infamous “Access Hollywood” tape of Trump bragging about sexually assaulting women, his deposition became key evidence for Carroll’s legal team. 

At least 17 women have accused Trump of varying degrees of sexual misconduct. Trump has denied every sexual harassment claim against him, but many of his accusers saw themselves in Carroll.

Since the verdict, concerns about Trump’s electability have resurfaced within the Republican Party.