CNN Legal Analyst Says Trump Rape Trial Lawyer Faces ‘Real Challenge’ In Cross-Examining E. Jean Carroll

CNN Senior Legal Affairs Correspondent Paula Reid said Trump rape trial attorney Joe Tacopina faces “a real challenge” in cross-examining E. Jean Carroll, citing his size and aggressiveness.

The trial began this week in the defamation suit Carroll filed in 2019 after now-former President Donald Trump accused her of lying about being raped by him. Carroll herself took the stand Wednesday, and began with a powerful statement: “I’m here because Donald Trump raped me and when I wrote about it, he said it didn’t happen, he lied. He shattered my reputation, and I’m here to try to get my life back.”

On Thursday morning’s edition of CNN This Morning, co-anchor Poppy Harlow asked Reid about the line Trump’s defense might need to walk in questioning Trump’s accuser:

HARLOW: In just a short time from now, the woman accusing former President Donald Trump of rape is expected to take the stand again here in New York. Columnist E. Jean Carroll is set to face more questions from her own lawyer. And then, the former President’s lawyer will cross examine her. Yesterday Carroll testified that in the mid- 1990s. Trump raped her in Bergdorf Goodman dressing room. He has previously denied that accusation. He’s called that hoax.

But on the stand, Carroll said, quote, “I’m here because Donald Trump raped me and when I wrote about it, he said it didn’t happen, he lied. He shattered my reputation, and I’m here to try to get my life back.” Our Senior Legal Affairs correspondent Paula Reid is back with us. In terms of what we can expect today, right? Because they have to think hard about how they’re going to cross examine her. Especially in a case like this.

REID: Absolutely, any defense attorney will tell you that cross examining someone who alleges they have been sexually assaulted is a delicate task. And I would argue that this is probably the most important day of this entire trial, unless the former President decides to testify, of course, because yesterday was very powerful. We heard E. Jean Carroll speaking at times through tears recounting her story.

But we had heard many of those details before. Now, though, her story is going to have to stand up to cross examination and we know how they’re going to try to undermine her story. First, they argue that she made it up and that she did so for political purposes. There’s also this larger question of well, why now? So, it’s interesting yesterday, we saw her attorneys try to get ahead of some of these questions, or lay the foundation, for example, why now? Why did it take you so long? Well, she says that she was frightened, she was fearful of retaliation, and she was ashamed.

She also insisted she’s not doing this to settle political scores. She says that when she came out, with these accusations, he attacked her reputation and as a journalist, that’s all she has. But it is going to be fascinating to see how they do this. And, of course, we expect that this cross examination will be done by the former President’s lawyer Joe Tacopina. Now, I think even he would admit he is big, he is loud, he is brash, he’s sort of a central casting for a very aggressive New York defense attorney. This is going to be a real challenge for him. It’ll be interesting to see how he approaches this.

Watch above via CNN This Morning.