Trump Draws Laughter, Applause as He Mocks E. Jean Carroll During CNN Town Hall
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Trump took aim at Carroll during the televised event on Wednesday night, making light of her rape allegations just one day after a jury held him liable for sexually abusing and defaming her
Donald Trump continues to make light of allegations that he assaulted former Elle advice columnist E. Jean Carroll in the late '90s, even after a jury held him liable for sexually abusing and defaming her on Tuesday.
During CNN's Republican Presidential Town Hall on Wednesday night, moderated by CNN This Morning co-anchor Kaitlan Collins, the former president mocked Carroll's story of abuse — the same one that the nine-member jury found him legally responsible for a day earlier — referring to the alleged assault as "hanky-panky," calling Carroll a "wack job," and saying he feels sorry for her ex-husband.
At multiple times throughout his remarks, members of the audience broke into laughter and applause.
When the verdict against Trump was reached on Tuesday, Americans began wondering how it would be addressed in CNN's town hall, which was scheduled for the next day. The conversation was approached partway through the event with a question from Collins about what the sexual abuse finding might mean for Trump's 2024 presidential aspirations.
"I want to ask you about a significant verdict that was reached yesterday. I know this is something you want to weigh in on as well," she said. "A Manhattan jury found that you sexually abused the writer E. Jean Carroll and defamed her. You've denied this. But what do you say to voters who say it disqualifies you from being president?"
Trump responded, "Well, there weren't too many of them because my poll numbers just came out. They went up, okay?"
Related:Key Takeaways from Donald Trump's Deposition in E. Jean Carroll's Rape and Defamation Trial
The former president then launched into a long-winded defense, claiming, "This woman: I don't know her, I never met her, I have no idea who she is. I had a picture taken years ago with her and her husband — nice guy, John Johnson, he was a newscaster, very nice man."
He argued that the trial was rigged in her favor and that the judge wouldn't allow his legal team to tell the jury that "her cat was named Vagina," which was met with laughter from the crowd.
The conversation about this week's verdict in the battery and defamation trial ended with him calling Carroll a "wack job."
Carroll's suit against Trump, which led to the recent trial, alleged: "Roughly 27 years ago, playful banter at the luxury department store Bergdorf Goodman on Fifth Avenue in New York City took a dark turn when Defendant Donald J. Trump seized Plaintiff E. Jean Carroll, forced her up against a dressing room wall, pinned her in place with his shoulder, and raped her."
The complaint claimed that the incident "severely injured Carroll, causing significant pain and suffering, lasting psychological harms, loss of dignity, and invasion of her privacy" and sought "redress for her injuries and to demonstrate that even a man as powerful as Trump can be held accountable under the law."
Carroll went public with her allegations against Trump in 2019, after which Trump adamantly denied Carroll's claims of assault, saying in an interview: "No. 1: She's not my type" and, further, that he had "never met this person in my life." (The two have been photographed together, though Trump said that was an incidental moment.)
Trump also tweeted at the time that Carroll was "totally lying" about the rape, claiming she made up the allegation in order to help sell her memoir.
Related:E. Jean Carroll Takes the Stand in N.Y.C. Trial: 'I'm Here Because Donald Trump Raped Me'
Carroll testified on day two of the civil trial in New York City, saying, "I'm here because Donald Trump raped me," according to multiple news outlets, "and when I wrote about it, he said it didn't happen."
"He lied and shattered my reputation, and I'm here to try and get my life back," the writer added.
During the trial, Carroll platformed other women who have accused Trump of sexual assault, with witnesses including former PEOPLE writer Natasha Stoynoff and ex-businesswoman Jessica Leeds who detailed their own claims of assault at the hands of the former president.
Related:Physically Attacked by Donald Trump — a PEOPLE Writer's Own Harrowing Story
To reach a verdict, nine jury members — six men and three women — were asked to unanimously answer up to 10 questions, some of which dealt with the degree of battery, if any, they would like to hold Trump liable for. Options included determining whether he raped Carroll, sexually abused her, forcibly touched her or did none of the above.
They ultimately concluded that she was not raped, but sexually abused: the second-highest offense that they could choose. Because it is a civil trial, their verdict does not determine guilt as a legal matter and will not lead to criminal charges. The jury did, however, have the power to order that Trump pay Carroll $2 million for sexual abuse and nearly $3 million for defamation.
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The verdict comes on the heels of other legal issues for Trump, who in March became the first former president in U.S. history to answer to criminal charges when he appeared in a Manhattan courtroom to plead not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in the first degree.
The felony charges resulted from an investigation into alleged hush money payments made to two women, including adult film star Stormy Daniels, while he was a presidential candidate in 2016.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.
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