


Closing arguments began Monday morning in writer E. Jean Carroll’s ongoing civil trial accusing former President Donald Trump of raping her decades ago.
Lawyers for Carroll, 79, and Trump, 76, will deliver the remarks to the jury that has been overseeing the case for seven days of trial over the last two weeks in Manhattan federal court.
The “Ask E. Jean” advice columnist testified — a points through tears — for three days, telling jurors that Trump allegedly sexually assaulted her in the fitting room of Bergdorf Goodman — most likely in 1996.
Trump has denied the claims. While he has not attended any day of trial and is not expected to come before it’s conclusion, the jury did see 48-minutes of his video deposition by Carroll’s lawyers taken last year.
The 45th president called Carroll’s allegations “the most ridiculous, disgusting story,” in the Oct. 19, 2022 deposition.
Over the course of trial Carroll’s side called two other Trump accusers, Jessica Leeds and Natasha Stoynoff, to testify in an effort to show that Trump’s allege rape of Carroll’s was not a one-off incident.
They also called a psychologist who spoke about the damage that the alleged attack took on Carroll’s personal life. And a communications and marketing professor was called to speak about the alleged damage that Trump’s public denials of her claims wrought on her reputation as a journalist.
Carroll has said that when Trump called her a “liar” who allegedly cooked up the story to make money and push the sale of her book, that she lost her long-time job at Elle Magazine and lost millions of readers of her column.
In his deposition, Trump also mixed up his ex-wife Marla Maples with Carroll in a photo during the questioning — which her lawyers have argued contradict his denials and his claims that she is not his “type.”
Trump’s side did not call any witnesses at trial.
The jury — which is slated to begin deliberations on Tuesday — must determine if Trump should be liable for the alleged assault and whether Trump defamed Carroll with his Truth Social post from October calling her accusations a “hoax.”
If the nine jurors find Carroll has proven her claims, they can award compensatory and punitive damages. The amount would be up to the jury.