Trump Misrepresented E. Jean Carroll and Ex-Wife in Civil Rape Case: Testifies via Pre-recorded Video

Trump did not appear in person after the civil trial, which is now drawing to a close after two weeks of proceedings in Manhattan. Both sides said they finished testifying on Thursday, though the Trump team has not called any witnesses in its defense.

Trump had told reporters he might cut short his current golf trip to Ireland to “face” Carroll in court.

“I’m going to come back (from my trip) early because one of them made a completely false claim, it’s fake,” Trump said.

Trump’s hint that he will return to New York comes after his attorney, Joseph Takopina, told the judge that his client would not testify in person in court.

Referring to Trump’s comments, the judge said he would give Trump until Sunday afternoon to make a decision. Then the judge would say: “That ship has sailed, never to return.”

The nine-member jury was shown the video showing Trump’s testimony in the case in a verbal confrontation with Roberta Kaplan, one of Carroll’s attorneys, which was filmed last October.

Trump continued his categorical denial of Carroll’s accusation that he lured her into the dressing room of the Bergdorf Goodman department store in Manhattan and raped her.

“If it had happened, it would have been reported within minutes,” Trump said at the briefing, noting that others in the “very busy store” would have heard the attack happening and continuing.

Jurors at the trial, which lasted nearly two weeks, heard days of videotaped testimony. Carroll told the jury she was left “unable to relive emotional experiences” after the alleged attack.

Her account in court was supported by her friend, Lisa Birnbach, who testified this week to receiving a call from Carole minutes after she said she had been raped.

Carroll’s team called two other women, Jessica Leeds and Natasha Stoynoff, who described Trump’s alleged sexual assaults, allegations he denies.

Carroll, a former columnist for fashion magazine Elle, is now able to file a civil lawsuit against Trump after New York state passed the Adult Survivors Act in 2022.

The law set a period of one year for victims of sexual assault who wished to file claims in the state, and whose incidents had already occurred beyond the time limit allowed by law to initiate any legal proceedings.