5 Key Moments From Trump’s Bombshell Rape Trial Deposition
Donald Trump’s taped deposition in the E. Jean Carroll civil rape and defamation case against the former president was unsealed on Friday. Clips of Trump’s deposition show the 2024 leading GOP candidate calling Carroll “mentally sick” and “not my type.” At one point Trump claims he never met Carroll before lawyers show him a photo of the two together – he then mixes up Carroll with his ex-wife Marla Maples.
In 2019, Carroll accused Trump of raping her in a dressing room at Bergdorf Goodman’s in New York City in the 1990s. Trump quickly denied the allegations and launched brutal attacks on Carroll, over which she sued him for defamation. Carroll also filed a civil suit against the former president accusing him of rape.
Below are 5 stunning moments from the unsealed clips of Trump’s deposition:
Confused Carroll for ex-wife
Carroll’s lawyer asked Trump about the photo of him with Carroll, “And do you recall when you first saw this photo?”
“At some point during the process, I saw that’s I guess, her husband, John Johnson, who was an anchor for ABC. Nice guy. I thought I mean, I don’t know him, but I thought he was pretty good at what he did. I don’t even know who the woman. Let’s see. I don’t know who. It’s Marla,” Trump replied.
“You say Marla is in the photo?” Kaplan asked.
“That’s Marla. Yeah, it’s. It’s my wife,” Trump replied.
“Which one are you pointing to now,” Kaplan asked to clarify.
“Here,” Trump replied.
“That person you just pointed to is E.Jean Carroll,” replied Kaplan.
Claimed Carroll said she “loved” the alleged assault
“She actually indicated that she loved it. Okay. She loved it until commercial break. In fact, I think she said it was sexy, didn’t she? It was very sexy to be raped. Didn’t she say that,” Trump said.
“No, sir. I just want to confirm it’s your testimony that E. Jean Carroll said that she loved being sexually assaulted by you,” asked Kaplan.
“Well, based on her interview with Anderson Cooper, I believe that’s what took place. We can we can define that. You’ll have to show that. I’m sure you’re going to show that. But she was interviewed by Anderson Cooper, and I think she said that rape was sexy, which it’s not, by the way. But I think she said that rape was sexy and it was she actually said things that were very strange. And then she was a different person after the, when he said. We’ll take a break right now. We’re going to take a break right now. He didn’t like what she was saying. He was very upset with what? And then she came back and she was a much different woman. The second in the second half, so to speak,” Trump replied.
“So the question I’m asking you is, did she say in that interview that she loved being sexually assaulted by you?” Carroll’s lawyer followed up.
“Well, she said something to that effect. I mean, you’ll have to take a look at the interviews of I believe she said rape was sexy. Which Anderson Cooper is dying. He’s saying, let’s get to a commercial break immediately. I think you better watch the interview. I’m sure you have,” Trump replied.
New York Daily News reporter Molly Crane-Newman pointed out on Friday that Trump “inaccurately” quoted Carroll’s CNN interview. In the CNN interview, Carroll does say, “I love that. I am so glad I’m not his type. I’m so glad.” Carroll was responding to Trump’s public statement denying her accusations and claiming he did not rape Carroll because “She’s not my type.”
Called out on mail-in ballot hypocrisy
“There’s this ridiculous situation that we’re doing right. It’s a big fat hoax. She’s a liar and she’s a sick person, in my opinion. Really sick. Something wrong with her,” Trump said.
“Okay. In addition to the Russia Russia Russia hoax, the Ukraine, Ukraine, Ukraine hoax, the Mueller the Mueller or Mueller hoax. The lying to FISA hoax. The lying to Congress. Hoax and the spying on your campaign hoax. Isn’t it true that you also referred to the use of mail-in ballots as a hoax?” replied Carroll’s lawyer.
“Yeah, I do. Sure, I do. And I think they are very dishonest. Mail in ballots? Very dishonest” Trump responded.
“And isn’t it true that you yourself have voted by mail?” Kaplan asked.
“I do. I do. Sometimes I do. But I don’t know what happens to it once once you give it. I have no idea,” Trump replied.
Defended ‘grab them by the p*ssy’ comments
“This has become very famous in this video. I just started kissing them. It’s like a magnet. Just kiss. I don’t even wait. And when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything. Grab them by the pussy. You could do anything. That’s what you said,” Kaplan asked.
“Well, historically, that’s true with stars,” replied Trump.
“It’s true with stars that they can grab women by the pussy?” Kaplan asked.
“Well, that’s what if you look over the last million years, I guess that’s been largely true. Not always, but largely true, unfortunately, or fortunately,” Trump replied.
“And you consider yourself to be a star?” Kaplan asked.
“I think you can say that. Yeah,” replied Trump.
Trump told Carroll’s lawyer he’s not into her
“Oh, I was with Donald Trump in 1980. Nothing changed. I was sitting with him on an airplane and he went after me on the plane. Yeah, I’m going to go after. Believe me, she would not be my first choice that I can touch. Yeah, you don’t know. No, that would not be my first choice,” Trump says in a clip from a rally he is shown during the deposition.
“When you said in that video that Miss Leeds would not be your first choice, you were referring to her physical looks? Correct?” Kaplan asked, referring to Jessica Leeds, who accused Trump of molesting her on a flight.
“Just the overall. Not. I look at her, I see her. I hear what she says. Whatever. You wouldn’t be a choice of mine either, to be honest with you. I hope you’re not insulted. I would not, under any circumstances, have any interest in you. I’m being. I’m honest when I say it. She I would not have any interest in,” Trump replied.
Watch the full clips above.
