Jury selection began on Tuesday for a trial in a federal civil court over the allegations of rape against former US President, Donald Trump. The lawsuit has been filed by a former advice columnist, E. Jean Carroll, who claims that Trump raped her almost three decades ago in a dressing room at a department store. Trump denies the allegation. The trial has the potential to be politically damaging for Trump, who is currently running for president again. The jury will hear stories of sexual misconduct that rocked his 2016 presidential campaign, allegations he claimed were falsehoods spun up to try to stop him from winning.
Carroll, who seeks unspecified damages, is expected to testify about a chance encounter with Trump in late 1995 or early 1996 that turned violent. The trial will also include Carroll’s defamation claim against Trump over disparaging remarks he made about her in response to the rape allegations. She’s seeking a retraction. Jurors will also hear from two other women who say they were sexually assaulted by Trump.
Jessica Leeds is set to testify that Trump tried to put his hand up her skirt on a 1979 flight on which the two were assigned neighbouring seats. Natasha Stoynoff, a former People magazine staff writer, will testify that Trump pinned her against a wall and forcibly kissed her at his Florida mansion when she went there in 2005 to interview Trump and his then-pregnant wife Melania Trump. Jurors will also see the infamous 2005 «Access Hollywood» video in which Trump is heard making misogynistic remarks about women, including an assertion that celebrities can grab, even sexually, women without asking.
The trial comes a month after Trump pleaded not guilty in an unrelated criminal case surrounding payments made to bury accounts of alleged extramarital sex. Since Carroll first made her accusations in a 2019 memoir, Trump has vehemently denied that a rape ever occurred or that he even knew Carroll, a longtime columnist for Elle magazine. Despite Trump’s denial, the trial will continue and the jurors’ names will be withheld from both the public and the lawyers, to protect them against possible harassment.
In conclusion, the trial of the lawsuit filed by E. Jean Carroll against former President Donald Trump has begun, and it has the potential to be politically damaging for Trump. The jury will hear stories of sexual misconduct and accusations from multiple women, which will be presented as evidence. Despite Trump’s denial of the allegations, the trial will continue.