Trump's loss to E. Jean Carroll was likely aided by these 2 blunders in his taped deposition

A federal jury in Manhattan on Tuesday found former President Donald Trump liable for sexually abusing and defaming writer E. Jean Carroll, and awarded her $5 million. Trump did not attend the civil trial, as was his right, but Carroll's lawyers did show clips of the sworn deposition Trump sat down for in October 2022.
The six men and three women of the jury have so far heeded the advice of U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan to "not identify yourself" or publicly discuss their deliberations "for a very long time," if ever — so we don't know what evidence swayed them to unanimously decide in a short three hours that Trump was liable for sexual assault (though not technical rape) based on a preponderance of the evidence. But "as is so often the case, Mr. Trump didn't help himself with his videotaped deposition," The Wall Street Journal sighed in an editorial.
The Journal editorial board specifically pointed to Trump's defense of his infamous 2006 comments on an Access Hollywood outtake. "Historically" it's "largely true" that stars like him have been able to kiss and grab women sexually without repercussion, Trump said, "unfortunately or fortunately." CNN's Jake Tapper played that part of the deposition — which was released to the news media on Friday — and agreed it "must have just been a gift to E. Jean Carroll's case."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The other part of the deposition flagged by analysts was when Trump — who claimed repeatedly he had no idea who Carroll is — misidentified her in a photo as his second wife, Marla Maples, and appeared not to recognize his first wife, Ivana Trump, who was standing right next to him.
The Marla Maples slip-up was especially damaging for Trump because, elsewhere in the deposition, he stood "100 percent" by his "politically incorrect" statement that Carroll is "not my type."
The "civil verdict against Trump provides a measure of irony" as well, Aaron Blake writes in The Washington Post, "because the litigious Trump, more than virtually anyone in America, has wielded the civil court system against his foes relentlessly." Trump said he will appeal.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Exurbs: America's biggest housing trend you haven't heard of
Under the Radar Northeastern exurbs were the nation's biggest housing markets in 2024
-
How to enjoy a coolcation in Sweden
The Week Recommends You won't break a sweat on Lake Asnen or underground at the Adventure Mine
-
Sudoku medium: May 8, 2025
The Week's daily medium sudoku puzzle
-
Carney and Trump come face-to-face as bilateral tensions mount
IN THE SPOTLIGHT For his first sit-down with an unpredictable frenemy, the Canadian prime minister elected on a wave of anti-Trump sentiment tried for an awkward detente
-
Supreme Court allows transgender troop ban
speed read The US Supreme Court will let the Trump administration begin executing its ban on transgender military service members
-
Another messaging app used by the White House is in hot water
The Explainer TeleMessage was seen being used by former National Security Adviser Mike Waltz
-
How does the Alien Enemies Act work?
Feature President Trump is using a long-dormant law to deport Venezuelans. How does it work?
-
Baby bonus: Can Trump boost the birth rate?
Feature The Trump administration is encouraging Americans to have more babies while also cutting funding for maternal and postpartum care
-
Hollywood confounded by Trump's film tariff idea
speed read President Trump proposed a '100% tariff' on movies 'produced in foreign lands'
-
Trump offers migrants $1,000 to 'self-deport'
speed read The Department of Homeland Security says undocumented immigrants can leave the US in a more 'dignified way'
-
Deportations ensnare migrant families, U.S. citizens
Feature Trump's deportation crackdown is sweeping up more than just immigrants as ICE targets citizens, judges and nursing mothers