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Former U.S. President Donald Trump attends jury selection in the second civil trial after Carroll accused Trump of raping her decades ago, at Manhattan Federal Court in New York City, U.S., January 16, 2024 in this courtroom sketch.
Jane Rosenberg | Reuters
Jurors at the sex assault defamation trial of Donald Trump on Thursday were shown a deposition of the former president from October 2022, and a video of him last week telling reporters the case was a “rigged deal” and “made up.”
The deposition features Trump confusing a photo of the plaintiff in the civil case, the writer E. Jean Carroll, with his ex-wife Marla Maples, despite having claimed elsewhere that Carroll was “not my type.” The photo shows Carroll and her then-husband talking to Trump and his first wife, Ivana Trump.
“I have had a lot of hoaxes played on me and this is one of them,” Trump said on the deposition.
“It is a false story, something not true, the Russia hoax, Ukraine hoax, Mueller situation for two-and-a-half years hoax, the lying to the FISA court hoax, lying to Congress hoax, the scum we have in our country, spying on my campaign and now they admit it and this is a hoax too, this ridiculous situation.”
“She is a liar and a really sick person in my opinion something wrong with her,” Trump said of Carroll.
The videos were shown after Carroll’s lawyers questioned what could be their last witness, former Elle magazine editor-in-chief Roberta Myers. Carroll previously wrote an advice column for Elle.
Trump, who was in the courtroom, was expected to testify later Thursday.
Trump was initially set to take the witness stand Monday in Manhattan federal court, but the trial was postponed after a juror called in sick.
Judge Lewis Kaplan gave Trump’s attorney Alina Habba the chance to continue the case that day with eight jurors instead of nine, but Habba declined, telling Kaplan that she was also feeling ill.
Habba attended Trump’s victory party in New Hampshire on Tuesday night after he defeated Nikki Haley in that state’s primary.
Jurors on Thursday were kept socially distanced as a health precaution..
Trump has tied his ongoing presidential campaign to his legal battles against Carroll, the New York attorney general, and three different prosecutors.
E. Jean Carroll walks outside Manhattan Federal Court, for the second civil trial after she accused former U.S. President Donald Trump of raping her decades ago, in New York City, U.S., January 25, 2024.
Brendan Mcdermid | Reuters
The former president in recent weeks has attended trials in New York, despite not being required to do so, drawing heavy media attention and new fundraising opportunities for his campaign.
Trump claims all of his legal battles are witch hunts being orchestrated by President Joe Biden and other Democrats to harm his presidential bid.
A jury in a related civil case filed by Carroll found Trump liable last year for sexually abusing the writel in a New York department store in the 1990s and then defaming her in statements he made while denying her allegation in late 2022.
That jury ordered Trump to pay $5 million to Carroll. Trump is appealing the verdict.
The ongoing trial is being held solely to determine how much Trump must pay Carroll in damages for defaming her in statements he made in 2019, while serving as president, denying her account.
Kaplan earlier ruled that Trump was liable for defaming her because of jury verdict in the prior trial, which related to similar statements.
Carroll’s lawyers are seeking at least $10 million in damages from Trump in this case.
This is developing news. Please check back for updates.
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