Former President Donald Trump left the courtroom on Friday as E. Jean Carroll’s attorney delivered her closing argument in the defamation case against him. Carroll, 80, is seeking a minimum of $10 million in damages for harm to her reputation caused by Trump’s June 2019 denials of raping her in the mid-1990s at a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room in Manhattan.
Trump, 77, has countered Carroll’s allegations by accusing her of fabricating the encounter to promote her memoir. However, in a separate but related trial last May, a jury found Trump guilty of defamation and sexual abuse towards Carroll, resulting in a $5 million award to her. This verdict is pivotal in the current trial, as it obligates the jury, composed of seven men and two women, to only decide on the amount Trump owes for reputation damages and whether punitive damages should be applied to prevent future defamation.
Roberta Kaplan, Carroll’s lawyer, emphasized in her closing statement that Trump’s denials have persisted throughout the trial. She argued that the trial’s purpose extends beyond compensation, aiming to penalize Trump for his actions and prevent future offenses. The trial, which Trump has mostly attended, is in its fifth day. Trump’s lawyer is expected to deliver a closing argument subsequently.
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