E. Jean Carroll Believes Trump Might Have Influenced The Jury If He Had Taken The Stand In The Sexual Abuse Trial

Trial Insights from E. Jean Carroll

E. Jean Carroll, a former author for Elle Magazine, expressed her belief on Wednesday that if President Donald Trump had testified at his first civil trial, he might have been able to convince the jury of his innocence regarding the allegations of battery and defamation.

Carroll filed a lawsuit against Trump in May 2023, alleging that he raped her in a dressing room at Bergdorf Goodman in Manhattan during the 1990s. She claims that Trump acknowledged his liability for battery and defamation. While speaking with former U.S. attorney Joyce Vance on Substack, Carroll suggested that the jury’s makeup could have worked in Trump’s favor.

“Honestly, without pulling any punches,” Carroll noted, “this was the first trial. Trump was in Ireland on a golf course, and [attorney Joe] Takopina advised him not to attend.” She continued, stating that Trump’s cross-examination by lawyer Robbie Kaplan could have lasted about seven hours, and she doubted he would have handled it well.

Carroll pointed out Trump’s political resilience, saying, “He managed to convince half the country to vote for him. They tried to impeach him twice, but he came back stronger.” She added that the jury was likely more favorable to Trump, given its location in upstate New York, which she felt was less liberal than Manhattan.

In the 2024 election, Trump won over 8% against former Vice President Kamala Harris, according to Spectrum News 1.

“We didn’t have a liberal jury; we had one that was in line with Trump’s views,” Carroll asserted. She believed that if Trump had appeared and faced an extended cross-examination, he might have swayed the jury in his favor.

Despite her proceedings against Trump, Carroll noted that he dismissed her accusations as “a hoax and a lie.” Ultimately, a jury awarded her $5 million in damages. Another jury later granted her $83.3 million in January 2024.