The attorney for writer E. Jean Carroll, who accuses former U.S. President Donald Trump of raping her and subsequently defaming her, confirmed before the jurors on Monday that Trump's statements about his treatment of women lend credibility to her client's case. During the closing arguments in a civil trial in federal court in Manhattan, attorney Roberta Kaplan reminded the jurors of a 2005 tape titled "Access Hollywood," which they had watched during the trial, where Trump boasted while the microphone was live about grabbing women in sensitive areas, saying, "When you're a star, they let you do it." Kaplan stated, "He thinks stars like him can get away with it. He thinks he can get away with it here."
Trump waived his right to testify in the trial and chose not to present a defense, betting that the jurors would find Carroll failed to present a compelling case. His attorneys were scheduled to present their closing arguments later on Monday. Trump has not attended the trial, which began on April 25, but he told reporters in Ireland last Thursday that he "might attend."
Carroll, 79, filed her lawsuit last year against Trump, 76, claiming that he raped her in a changing room at Bergdorf Goodman in Manhattan in 1995 or 1996 and then defamed her when he denied the incident occurred. The former columnist seeks unspecified monetary damages.
