Donald Trump Set to Lose Millions From E. Jean Carroll Trial Verdict

Retired journalist E. Jean Carroll can expect a seven-figure sum from her defamation lawsuit against former President Donald Trump, a litigation attorney said.

It comes after a judge strongly reprimanded Trump on Thursday for trying to claim from the witness stand that he didn't sexually assault Carroll.

Neama Rahmani, a former federal prosecutor and president and co-founder of West Coast Trial Lawyers, told Newsweek that Trump's testimony will not have impressed the jury.

"Trump was limited to saying he stood by his deposition testimony and that he said what he said to protect himself, his family and the presidency," Rahmani said. "That won't be enough to convince the jurors, and I expect them to award Carroll another 7-figure judgment."

Rahmani said that Trump had tried to get around Judge Lewis Kaplan's order that he not claim innocence of sexual assault.

"Trump tried to deviate from the judge's order, but Kaplan struck his testimony denying the sexual assault happened," Rahmani said.

New York University law lecturer Stephen Gillers said that Trump's brief testimony, in which he did not want to defame Carroll, may have helped his case.

"Trump did say that he did not want to hurt Carroll but 'just wanted to defend myself, my family and, frankly, the presidency.' That might put him in a better light with the jury and put a lid on punitive damages," Gillers said.

Gillers added that Trump's testimony was aimed toward his political supporters.

"His appearance underscored his combative character and his 'never back down' personality. So appearing is part of the political campaign," Gillers said.

Prior to Trump testifying, Kaplan warned that the former president was not to deny Carroll's allegations as a jury already weighed in on them.

"There was a trial last year regarding the truth or falsity to Ms. Carroll's claim that Mr. Trump sexually assaulted her," the judge said. "The jury unanimously concluded that he sexually assaulted her and his claim that he did not was false and defamatory."

When the judge asked Trump attorney Alina Habba to confirm the former president was "aware of the strict confines" of his testimony, she said he did.

Judge Kaplan also asked Habba to outline everything Trump planned to say on the witness stand, to which Habba replied: "I can't testify for my client, your honor."

Habba did say she would ask Trump whether he stands by deposition, "His state of mind was that he was responding and defending himself" and "that he never instructed anyone to hurt Ms. Carroll in his statements."

Newsweek sought email comment from Trump's attorney on Friday when the trial's closing arguments took place.

In May 2023, Carroll was awarded $5 million in damages after a jury found Trump liable for sexually abusing and defaming the former Elle columnist. Trump has continued to deny sexually assaulting Carroll at the Bergdorf Goodman department store in New York in the 1990s.

Carroll's lawyers are seeking another $10 million in compensatory damages in this lawsuit and "substantially more" after Trump continued to deny the accusations that he assaulted her. In early September, Judge Kaplan ruled that Trump's comments against Carroll were defamatory.

Trump is facing several lawsuits as he edges closer to taking the Republican nomination for the 2024 presidential election.

As well as the Carroll case, Trump is facing a civil fraud trial brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James, as well as 91 criminal counts in other cases. In the fraud trial, Judge Arthur Engoron in September issued a partial summary judgment that Trump and top executives at the Trump Organization committed fraud.

Engoron ruled that Trump grossly inflated the value of his assets to obtain more favorable terms from lenders and insurers. The rest of the trial will determine how much he will pay in damages, as well as rule on six other accusations, including falsifying business records, insurance fraud and conspiracy claims.