that I would take a then almost 60-year-old woman that I didn’t know [into a department-store dressing room] and…her,” Donald Trump asked his followers on
Although Mr Trump will no doubt try to spin that last finding to his advantage, this was a dire day for the former president. Among the dozens of accusations and legal troubles he has faced since he ran for office, this ruling is the first major legal judgment against him. That is significant.
Historical claims of sexual abuse are notoriously hard to prove in court. But as the case progressed over the past week the belief that Mr Trump might lose steadily grew. The contrast between camp Carroll and camp Trump was stark. Ms Carroll’s testimony was emotional, composed and credible, and her lawyers methodically layered on witness after witness to back up her claims and make the case that Mr Trump’s behaviour was part of a broader pattern.
Mr Trump himself decided instead to communicate directly with the American public through his preferred platform: social media . Just before the jury deliberations began, Mr Trump took to Truth Social to claim that he was “not allowed to speak or defend” himself in the trial. Soon after the verdict came out, the Trump campaign issued a statement announcing that they would appeal and that “The Democrats Weaponization Of The American Judicial System Against President Trump” had reached a new low.