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Defense attorney Joe Tacopina, left, cross examines plaintiff E. Jean Carroll on the witness stand with Judge Lewis A. Kaplan presiding Monday in Manhattan federal court. (Elizabeth Williams/AP)

E. Jean Carroll defends her reputation in Trump rape accusation case

Updated May 1, 2023 at 5:17 p.m. EDT|Published May 1, 2023 at 9:30 a.m. EDT
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E. Jean Carroll defended her reputation and credibility during her third day of testimony in her lawsuit against former president Donald Trump, whom she accused of raping her in the mid-1990s. Trump denied the accusation and has called her a liar, which is the basis for this civil suit. “I am a member of the Silent Generation. … Women like me were taught and trained to keep our chins up and to not complain,” Carroll testified Monday. Trump attorney Joe Tacopina questioned Carroll about her income, relationship with her magazine employer, and even about a television episode that appeared to share similarities with Carroll’s description of Trump’s alleged assault.

Key updates

Here’s what to know

  • Carroll’s return to the stand Monday came after she testified over two days last week. Her testimony included harrowing depictions of sexual assault. She also said Trump’s denials, beginning when she first publicly accused him in 2019, caused her additional torment. Carroll is suing Trump for battery and defamation.
  • Tacopina sought to show that she was not traumatized by the alleged encounter that is at the heart of her lawsuit. He questioned her about not reporting the alleged assault to police and focused on her numerous visits to the upscale department store where she says the incident took place.
  • It remains unclear whether Trump will testify in his own defense. The former president has no obligation to testify or attend the proceedings. Tacopina has told the judge that Trump will make a decision during the trial.
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Carroll’s return to the stand Monday came after she testified over two days last week. Her testimony included harrowing depictions of sexual assault. She also said Trump’s denials, beginning when she first publicly accused him in 2019, caused her additional torment. Carroll is suing Trump for battery and defamation.
Tacopina sought to show that she was not traumatized by the alleged encounter that is at the heart of her lawsuit. He questioned her about not reporting the alleged assault to police and focused on her numerous visits to the upscale department store where she says the incident took place.
It remains unclear whether Trump will testify in his own defense. The former president has no obligation to testify or attend the proceedings. Tacopina has told the judge that Trump will make a decision during the trial.

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