As the defamation case involving E. Jean Carroll unfolds, former President Donald Trump has yet to take the stand, but a momentous development within the courtroom has left everyone in stunned silence.
Previously, Trump was found liable for both se*xually abusing the author and subsequently defaming her by refuting her allegations and tarnishing her reputation after his White House tenure. In the latest proceedings, a jury convened to assess the damages he should bear for distinct defamatory statements made during his presidency.
Crucially, a judge has already established Trump’s liability for defamation in this current trial, leaving the jury primarily tasked with determining the appropriate damages.
MSNBC legal analyst Lisa Rubin highlighted the significance of the proceedings on Thursday, emphasizing the impact of video recordings from Trump’s previous depositions. These recordings also featured statements he made on the campaign trail, as well as excerpts from his deposition in the New York attorney general’s civil fraud case.
In the latter, Trump extensively boasted about his brand’s value, the amount of cash at his disposal, and his approach to valuing properties like Doral or Mar-a-Lago about his overall portfolio. In essence, he openly discussed his total net worth, a crucial factor for the jury to consider when assessing punitive damages.
One particular moment from the video deposition emerged as notably dramatic, according to Rubin. It involved Trump being confronted with a photograph of E. Jean Carroll alongside her then-husband John Johnson, meeting with Donald and Ivana Trump back in 1987. This moment became infamous due to Trump’s reaction. He had previously defamed E. Jean Carroll by asserting that she was not his type, yet in the deposition, he mistook her for his second wife, Marla Maples.
Rubin observed that the room fell into profound silence as these clips from Trump’s deposition were played. She noted the surreal experience of witnessing Donald Trump watch himself without displaying much reaction.
As the trial unfolds, the courtroom remains captivated by these developments, awaiting Trump’s testimony and the jury’s decision regarding the damages he will be required to pay.
“I think that was the most silent the room has been was watching those clips from Donald Trump’s deposition,” she added, “and then of course there’s the weird journalistic experience of watching Donald Trump watch Donald Trump and having practically zero reaction.”