Donald Trump's alleged sexual assault of E. Jean Carroll described on explosive first day of trial
New York, New York - E. Jean Carroll's sexual assault and defamation lawsuit against Donald Trump officially kicked off on Wednesday with a shocking description of the alleged assault committed by the ex-president.
Carroll arrived at the federal district courthouse on Tuesday, met with chants of "We believe E. Jean Carroll!" from demonstrators holding signs with slogans like "No one is above the law" and "Lies have consequences." Trump was, as expected, a no-show.
The former writer is seeking damages for defamation and an alleged sexual assault by Trump that she claims took place in a department store in the 90s.
Her lawyer, Shawn Crowley, told of how, back in 1996, she went on a shopping trip in New York with the then-real estate mogul. Per ABC News, while they were looking at lingerie in the Bergdorf Goodman department store, Trump allegedly barged into a dressing room and "lunged" at Carroll and sexually assaulted her.
According to Mother Jones, two other witnesses – Jessica Leeds and Natasha Stoynoff – who have made similar claims of sexual assault by the former president, are expected to testify about their experiences in graphic detail in order to prove this is a pattern in Trump's behavior.
"Three women, one pattern," Crowley explained to jurors.
"Pounce, kiss, grab, grope, don't wait," she added. "When you're a star, you can do anything you want. And when they speak up about what happened, attack, humiliate them, call them liars."
Donald Trump's legal team dismiss Carroll's claims completely
Donald Trump's legal team, on the other hand, simply acted dismissive of Carroll's claims, parroting Trump's argument that Carroll is a liar, and made up her story with the intentions of becoming famous.
Trump attorney Joe Tacopina pointed out how Carroll cannot remember the date of the alleged assault, arguing "it's a pretty important event in someone's life, and she can't remember the date!"
Tacopina also mocked Carroll for not involving police in the incident, stating "No one has ever called the police, including E. Jean Carroll, because that would be a real investigation!"
The trial is expected to continue for another 5-7 days, going into next week. No one, including the judge, knows whether Donald Trump will ever show to testify on his behalf.
Cover photo: Collage: IMAGO / NurPhoto & ITAR-TASS