After then-President Donald Trump accused E. Jean Carroll of sexual abuse, he “unleashed” her into followers — some say he should rape and kill her. her lawyer argued on Tuesday.
“How much does it cost to stop him? Because he hasn't stopped,” Carroll's lawyer Sean Crowley said at the outset of Trump's second defamation trial involving plaintiffs. he told a Manhattan federal jury in a statement.
The 77-year-old former president was ordered by a jury to pay an “Ask E. Jean” advice columnist $5 million for sexually abusing her in a Bergdorf Goodman fitting room in 1996 and then defaming her. It had already been ordered in a previous court case. She went public about her alleged assault in 2019.
This latest defamation lawsuit includes similar comments Trump made to Carroll in 2022.
A judge has already ruled that Trump defamed Carroll in 2022. The issue at stake in this lawsuit is exactly how much Trump should pay Carroll in return. Her campaign is seeking more than $10 million.
“He was the president,” Crowley said of President Trump's alleged incitement of Carroll supporters. “And when he spoke, the world listened.
“He had the biggest microphone on the planet. And the next week, he used it to tear her reputation to shreds and defame her,” the lawyer argued.
Mr Crowley said the real estate mogul, who is running for president again, did this in a series of “vicious attacks” against Mr Carroll starting on June 22, 2019. He reportedly denied meeting with her and verbally assaulted her. .
“He said he had no idea who she was,” Crowley said. “He threatened her girlfriend, accusing her of lying and making up her story to get money. I said you have to pay a price.”
Trump “released his followers to stalk her online, attack her character, and threaten her life,” the lawyer said.
After Trump's public comments in speeches and online, Carroll posted messages calling her “ugly” and saying she should be jailed and raped, as well as “speaking out about what Donald Trump has done. I received a message threatening to kill me because I had courage.'' She’s her,” Crowley said.
Carroll's reputation as a journalist was tarnished and she continues to live in fear, her lawyer said.
“She's afraid — she's afraid that someday someone will take advantage of their threat,” Crowley said.
His lawyer said his client is asking the jury to award Ms Carroll “very significant” compensation for the impact it has had on her life over the past four years.
Trump was not in the courtroom while Crowley gave his impassioned statement to nine jurors, including doctors, publicists and bankers, but the former commander-in-chief said earlier in the day that He was in a lower Manhattan courtroom during jury selection.
“He was sitting in this court this morning. And while he was sitting there, he posted even more defamatory statements and lies…22 posts today alone.” Crowley pointed out. “Think about that, when you think about how much money it would cost to stop him.”
Shortly before and during Trump's courtroom appearance in the morning, Trump posted a series of messages about Carroll on Truth Social, including: “I have to protect myself from this woman's false story.'' Can you believe it won't happen?!'' was included.
The trial is scheduled to last a week and jurors will hear about Trump's infamous boast to former “Access Hollywood” host Billy Bush that he allowed women to molest him because he was a “star.” You are supposed to listen to a high recording.
Trump's lawyer, Alina Haba, told the judge that the campaign plans to call two witnesses: Trump and Carol Martin. Martin is the woman Carroll confided in shortly after Trump allegedly attacked her.
If the 45th president were to take the witness stand, he would be restricted in what he is allowed to say, and the jury could decide that he did not know Carol or that he sexually assaulted her. It would be unacceptable to claim that it is not. The judge said he had already found him liable in a previous case.
