Former US President Donald Trump is once again causing a stir with hurtful statements about women. Video of Trump’s interrogation from last October was released Friday in connection with a civil lawsuit against the Republican for rape. In the 48-minute clip, plaintiff Jean Carroll’s attorney Roberta Kaplan questioned Trump about the case, which is currently in court in New York.
Trump, who has since announced a renewed candidacy for president, again dismissed the allegations while repeating derogatory remarks about women. In particular, he also defended his infamous statement that as a celebrity you could touch women’s genitals.
Trump claimed that Carroll was not his “type.”
Carroll accuses Trump of raping her in a New York department store in the mid-1990s. Trump, who was not a politician at the time but a real estate entrepreneur, always dismissed the accusation – including saying that Carroll was not his “type”. The criminal charges are time-barred, but under civil law, Carroll was free to sue. She demands compensation. Oral arguments in the case are expected next week.
When asked about Trump’s statements that Carroll wasn’t his type — as well as another woman who had accused him of sexual assault — the Republican told attorney Kaplan in the interrogation video: “You wouldn’t be my choice either, to be honest. I hope you’re not offended. I wouldn’t be interested in you at all.” Trump said it was not offensive. “But if someone accuses me of something, I think I have a right to offend.”
Trump claims not to have known the accuser
Elsewhere, Kaplan provided Trump with a photo of him mistaking Carroll for his then-wife. At the same time, the ex-president repeatedly emphasized that he did not know Carroll, did not know about “this crazy person” and only greeted her in the photo at a charity event – without knowing her.
Several women have accused Trump of sexual harassment in the past, which he has always denied. During his campaign for the 2016 presidential election, an old audio recording was also made public in which Trump made lewd and derogatory remarks about women — and about the fact that stars could touch women’s genitals if they wanted to. During the interrogation, the lawyer talked to Trump about that video and the statements in it. Trump defended his words from the time, saying, “If you look at the last million years, I think that’s broadly true, not always, but broadly true. Unfortunately — or fortunately.”
Trump is running in next year’s presidential election
Despite the vulgar statements, the Americans elected Trump as president in 2016. And many other scandals have failed to bring him down politically in the past. In the 2024 presidential election, Trump would now like to run again for the Republicans – and among the potential Republican candidates, he has so far led the way. He sees the New York trial, like other legal investigations against him, as an attempt to hold him back politically. In the video now released, Trump also describes attorney Kaplan as a “political agent” and as a “disgrace.”
Carroll’s civil trial against Trump is nearing completion. According to media reports, after all of the plaintiff’s witnesses testified American author, the court scheduled oral argument for Monday — after which jury deliberations would follow. The defense is therefore still open until Sunday to request a testimony from Trump on the witness stand. Trump’s lawyers had stated that their client did not want to testify in the trial. Recently, however, Trump had said the opposite and brought a trip to New York into play.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
