Jury to Decide if Former President Trump Defamed Writer E. Jean Carroll with Denial of Rape Accusation

Former President Donald Trump’s attorney argued in closing arguments Monday that Trump never met E. Jean Carroll, the writer who accused him of rape in the mid-1990s, because she was “not his type.” However, Carroll’s attorney argued that Trump did know her, and that he was targeting women in “semi-public” places and “grabbing” their genitals.

The civil trial in Manhattan federal court, which began last week, is to determine whether Trump defamed Carroll when he publicly denied her accusations. During the trial, Carroll’s attorney Roberta Kaplan played a video of the former president’s October deposition in the case, where he looked at a picture of Carroll from the late 1980s and identified it as a photo of Marla Maples, his second wife.

Trump’s attorney argued that the former president had no reason to lie in his deposition, and that he had never met Carroll. He also argued that Trump’s comments about Carroll not being his type were not defamatory.

Carroll’s attorney argued that Trump did know her, and that he was targeting women in “semi-public” places and “grabbing” their genitals. She argued that Trump’s comments were defamatory and that he was trying to discredit her.

The jury is now deliberating on the case, and a verdict is expected soon.