Image Source: Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead, via Wikimedia Commons. Public domain as a work of the U.S. federal government.
What Was the Accusation?
Writer and longtime advice columnist E. Jean Carroll publicly accused Donald Trump in 2019 of sexually assaulting her in a dressing room at the Bergdorf Goodman department store in Manhattan in the mid-1990s. Carroll said that a chance encounter with Trump in the store began playfully before he attacked her inside a dressing room. Trump denied the allegation, said he did not know Carroll, accused her of fabricating the story, and said she was “not my type.” Carroll subsequently sued Trump for defamation over his public response to her accusation.
Trump was questioned under oath about Carroll’s allegations during an October 19, 2022 deposition. Rather than accepting responsibility, he repeatedly denied that the encounter occurred and attacked Carroll’s credibility. He described her accusation as fabricated, characterized Carroll in insulting terms, maintained that he did not know her, and repeated his assertion that she was not his “type.” When shown a photograph depicting himself, Carroll, Carroll’s then-husband John Johnson, and Trump’s then-wife Ivana Trump, however, Trump initially identified Carroll as his former wife Marla Maples before being corrected. The deposition also addressed the 2005 Access Hollywood recording in which Trump had made sexually aggressive comments about women.
Carroll filed a second lawsuit in November 2022 after New York’s Adult Survivors Act temporarily allowed adults to bring civil claims involving alleged sexual abuse that otherwise would have been barred by statutes of limitation. That lawsuit included a battery claim concerning the department-store encounter as well as a defamation claim concerning Trump’s October 2022 public denial. At the 2023 civil trial, Trump did not appear in person, but portions of his videotaped deposition were presented to the jury.
On May 9, 2023, a federal jury found Trump liable for sexually abusing Carroll and for defaming her. The jury did not find that Carroll had proved rape under the specific legal definition presented on the verdict form, but it found that she had proved sexual abuse and awarded her $5 million in damages. Trump continued to deny Carroll’s allegations and challenged the judgment. A federal appeals court upheld the $5 million verdict, and in 2026 the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear Trump’s appeal and subsequently rejected his request to reconsider that decision.
Carroll also pursued a separate defamation case arising from statements Trump made about her in 2019 while he was president. In January 2024, a jury awarded Carroll an additional $83.3 million in damages. A federal appeals court upheld that judgment in September 2025. Trump has continued to deny sexually assaulting Carroll and has portrayed the litigation and judgments against him as unjust and politically motivated. His response to the controversy therefore represents an example of apologia centered overwhelmingly on denial, attacks on the accuser, and attempts to challenge the legitimacy and motives of those making or adjudicating the accusation rather than an expression of mortification.
Key Apologia Strategies:
Denial, Attacking the Accuser, Bolstering
Video
N/A
Transcript
Deposition of Donald Trump, Wednesday, October 19, 2022, The Mar-a-Lago Club:
Question: I want to focus on the very last sentence, which says: “Now, like everyone else, she gets paid by a radical, left-leaning publisher to say bad and untrue things.”
Answer: Yeah.
Question: Do you know who her publisher was?
Answer: No. I just heard it was a publisher that did some very bad books on us.
Question: I’ll represent to you her publisher was Harper Collins.
Answer: Yeah. And they haven’t been great.
Question: Do you know who published your son-in-law, Jared Kushner’s book?
Answer: Could be, but they published some very bad ones too.
Question: What is Truth Social?
Answer: It’s a platform that’s been opened by me as an alternative to Twitter.
Question: And your handle on Truth Social is @realdonaldtrump?
Answer: I believe so, yes.
Question: And as of today, you have approximately four million followers on Truth Social?
Answer: I don’t know the number. I know Truth Social is doing very well. I think it was number one ahead of TikTok, number one ahead of Twitter, number one ahead of Instagram and everyone else for the last number of days. I just noticed that. Somebody put it on my desk. They have the ratings, and they said Truth Social is hot.
Question: And I’ll represent to you, sir, that we looked it up, and it showed, at least as of the last time we looked, you had around four million — a little bit over four million followers.
Answer: On me personally.
Question: On you personally.
Answer: Not Truth Social, on me. I don’t know. That’s possible.
Question: Okay. And like Twitter, people have the ability to repost, or I think as you used the expression in Truth Social, “retruth” posts that you make from your @realdonaldtrump account; correct?
Answer: I think so, yes. Yes, they do.
Question: And people have the opportunity to like or heart one of your posts as well; correct?
Answer: Could be.
Question: Okay. Now, on October 12, just a few days ago, you issued a statement on Truth Social about Ms. Carroll and this case; correct?
Answer: I believe so, yes.
Question: And the statement that you posted, who wrote that statement?
Answer: I did.
Question: You yourself?
Answer: Yeah.
Question: Did you post the statement yourself?
Answer: Yes.
Question: And in addition to posting the statement on Truth Social, you also sent it to the press?
Answer: Yes. It’s called truth and post. We post much like — how would you say it? We put out a statement, and we also put it on Truth.
Question: And when you say you put it out —
Answer: Like a public relations statement.
Question: It goes, like, to an email list of reporters?
Answer: Yeah, whatever. Yeah. The bigger grab is The Truth, but we also — we call it posts. We have — actually it’s truth and post. So we call it post. But the bigger — the more important of the two is The Truth because people are watching it.
Question: And in that sentence, you just used the word “we.” Does someone help you —
Answer: Well, I’m talking about me.
Question: Okay. But —
Answer: But when I say “we,” I’m talking about perhaps Truth because Truth has, you know, people working for it, quite a few people.
Question: Okay. But you didn’t personally send the email to the reporters yourself, did you?
Answer: No. What they do is they take it from Truth, and then they’ll put it out as a press release.
Question: And that’s what I’m trying to ask, sir. Who’s “they”?
Answer: Different people that work in the organization in Truth or — some cases my office.
Question: And with this statement, do you recall whether it was people who worked for Truth Social or your office?
Answer: I believe we put it out through my office.
Question: And who in your office would have been responsible for doing that?
Answer: Possibly — maybe Margo or maybe Chamberlain, Chamberlain Harris.
Question: So Chamberlain Harris and — I don’t know Margo’s last name.
Answer: One or two of the people in the office would have done it.
Question: What’s Margo’s last name?
Answer: Excuse me?
Question: Do you know Margo’s last name?
Answer: Margo Martin.
Question: Trying to interpret the last several questions and answers. When you post something on Truth Social, does it always go to the press ultimately, or does someone make that decision?
Answer: Pretty automatic.
Question: Okay.
Answer: It goes to the press really directly on Truth too. So most people have it before they get the Post.
Question: And I take it when it goes to the reporters by email, there’s a designated group, and it always goes to the same —
Answer: I don’t know how they do that, but it goes to the press.
Question: Why did you decide to issue the statement on Truth Social on October 12th?
Answer: Because I was offended at this woman’s lie. Because I was offended that she could just make up a story out of cold air, refuted by her testimony on CNN, but that she could make up a story just out of nowhere and that I get a phone call asking me about this ridiculous situation. The woman — there’s something wrong with her in my opinion. Okay. But it’s a false accusation. Never happened, never would happen. And I posted and I will continue to post until such time as — and then I will sue her after this is over, and that’s the thing I really look forward to doing. And I’ll sue you too because this is — how many cases do you have? Many, many cases, and I know the statements that were made — that you made. Keep Trump busy because this is the way you defeat him, to keep him busy with litigation. So I will be suing you also, but I’ll be suing her very strongly as soon as this case ends. But I’ll be suing you also.
Question: Are you done?
Answer: Yeah.
Question: Is there anything in particular that prompted you to make this statement last week?
Answer: Yeah. Her false story and that I have to waste a whole day doing these ridiculous questions with you.
Question: So it says: “October 12, 2022, statement by Donald J. Trump, forty-fifth President of the United States of America. This ‘Ms. Bergdorf Goodman case’ is a complete con job, and our legal system in this country but especially in New York State (just look at Peekaboo James) is a broken disgrace. You have to fight for years and spend a fortune in order to get your reputation back from liars, cheaters, and hacks. This decision is from the judge who was just overturned on my same case. I don’t know this woman, have no idea who she is other than it seems she had a picture of me many years ago with her husband shaking my hand on a reception line at a celebrity charity event. She completely made up a story that I met her at the doors of this crowded New York City department store and within minutes ‘swooned’ her.” “Swooned” is in quotes. “It is a hoax and a lie just like all the other hoaxes that have been played on me for the past seven years, and while I’m not supposed to say it, I will. This woman is not my type! She has no idea what day, what week, what month, what year, or what decade this so-called ‘event’ supposedly took place. The reason she doesn’t know is because it never happened, and she doesn’t want to get caught up with details or facts that could be proven wrong. If you watch Anderson Cooper’s interview with her where she was promoting a really crummy book, you will see that it is a complete scam. She changed her story from beginning to end after the commercial break to suit the purposes of CNN and Andy Cooper. Our justice system is broken along with almost everything else in our country. Her lawyer is a political operative and Cuomo crony who goes around telling people that the way to beat Trump is to sue him all over the place. She is suing me on numerous frivolous cases just like this one, and the court system does nothing to stop it. “In the meantime and for the record, E. Jean Carroll is not telling the truth, is a woman I had nothing to do with, didn’t know, and would have no interest in knowing her if I ever had the chance. Now all I have to do is go through years more of legal nonsense in order to clear my name of her and her lawyer’s phony attacks on me. This can only happen to ‘Trump’!” Did I read that correctly?
Answer: Great statement, yeah. True. True.
Question: And now that you’ve heard it again and you have it in front of you, you again confirm that you wrote the whole thing yourself?
Answer: I wrote it all myself. All myself.
Question: Did you talk to anyone before you wrote it? Did you talk to anyone about what to say in the statement?
Answer: No. I didn’t need to. I’m not Joe Biden.
Question: In this statement you say, I think, for the first time that it was a charity event, that photo. It was a charity event that —
Answer: That was what I was told, yeah. I was told it was a charity event. Nobody knows which event it was, but it was like a charity event.
Question: Do you know — remember who told you that?
Answer: No.
Question: Do you have any recollection — withdrawn. Did anyone tell you what charity it was for?
Answer: I don’t know exactly. I heard it was like a celebrity charity event. It was a large gathering of people but — and I heard that was actually a line, a celebrity line. But maybe that’s wrong.
Question: Now, at the beginning of your post, the reference “Ms. Bergdorf Goodman” is a reference to Ms. Carroll; right?
Answer: That’s right.
Question: And at the deposition in another case where I was here, you referred to, as I recall, Ms. Carroll as Madam Bergdorf Goodman. Same idea; right?
Answer: Same concept, yeah.
Question: Now, when you say in here I don’t know this woman and have no idea who she is, even though you’re using the present tense, you’re referring back to your knowledge as of when she first made the allegation —
Answer: I still don’t know this woman. I think she’s a wack job. I have no idea. I don’t know anything about this woman other than what I read in stories and what I hear. I know nothing about her.
Question: Okay. Well, I guess the distinction I’m trying to make, sir, is that when the allegation came out in 2019, you said you — I think it’s your testimony that you had no idea who she was.
Answer: I still don’t.
Question: Well, today you at least know that she’s a plaintiff in a case suing you; correct?
Answer: Oh, yes. That, I know, but I know nothing about her. I think she’s sick, mentally sick.
Question: Okay. You say in this post — you use a strange word, which I want to ask you about. You say she completely made up a story that I met her at the doors of this crowded New York City department store and within minutes swooned her. Do you see that?
Answer: Yeah.
Question: What does “swooned her” mean?
Answer: That would be a word, maybe accurate or not, having do with talking to her and talking her — to do an act that she said happened, which didn’t happen. And it’s a nicer word than the word that starts with an F, and this would be a word that I used because I thought it would be inappropriate to use the other word. And it didn’t happen.
Question: Okay. I was curious when I read this. So I looked up the word “swoon” in the dictionary, and under the dictionary, it means “to faint with extreme emotion.” That’s not what you meant here?
HABBA: Objection to the form.
Answer: Well, sort of that’s what she said I did to her. She fainted with great emotion. She actually indicated that she loved it. Okay? She loved it until commercial break. In fact, I think she said it was sexy, didn’t she? She said it was very sexy to be raped. Didn’t she say that?
BY MS. KAPLAN:
Question: So, sir, I just want to confirm: It’s your testimony that E. Jean Carroll said that she loved being sexually assaulted by you?
Answer: Well, based on her interview with Anderson Cooper, I believe that’s what took place. And we can define that. You’ll have to show that. I’m sure you’re going to show that. But she was interviewed by Anderson Cooper, and I think she said that rape was sexy — which it’s not, by the way. But I think she said that rape was sexy, and it was — she actually said things that were very strange, and then she was a different person after the — when he said “We’ll take a break right now. We’re going to take a break right now,” he didn’t like what she was saying. He was very upset with what — and then she came back, and she was a much different woman in the second half, so to speak.
Question: So, again, just so the testimony is clear, because you tend to give long answers. Is it your testimony, sir, that on Anderson Cooper she — I just lost it. She indicated on the Anderson — “she” being E. Jean Carroll — indicated on the Anderson Cooper show that she loved it?
Answer: If you see the front part of her interview, the first part of her interview, before Anderson — in a panic because she wasn’t saying the right thing for him and for CNN — it was very hostile. In a panic he said we’re going to station break. I think he said it twice. He wanted her to stop. He wanted her to stop talking. If you watch that interview — yeah. She said a lot of things in that interview, things that make her into a total liar.
Question: And so the question I’m asking you is did she say in that interview that she loved being sexually assaulted by you?
Answer: Well, she said something to that effect. I mean, you’ll have to take a look at the interview yourself. I believe she said rape was sexy, to which Anderson Cooper is dying. He’s saying let’s get to a commercial break immediately. I think you better watch the interview. I’m sure you have, but you better watch the interview.
Question: In the interview when Ms. Carroll talked about rape being sexy, isn’t it true that she said that’s a view that many other people hold?
Answer: Oh, I don’t know. I mean, I don’t know. All I know is I believe she said rape is sexy or something to that effect, but you’ll have to watch the interview. It’s been awhile.
Question: And just to clarify, I think you said a few minutes earlier that you used the word “swooned” as a synonym for — you said the F word — for sexual intercourse?
Answer: Yeah. That’s because that’s what she said.
Question: What do you mean? She never used the word “swooned.”
Answer: No. She said that I did something to her that never took place. There was no anything. I know nothing about this nut job.
Question: Okay. Then you go on to say in the statement: “And while I am not supposed to say it, I will.” Why were you not supposed to say it?
Answer: Because it’s not politically correct to say — read the next. Go ahead. That she’s not my type? Yeah. Because it’s not politically correct to say it, and I know that, but I’ll say it anyway. She’s accusing me of rape, a woman that I have no idea who she is. It came out of the blue. She’s accusing me of rape — of raping her, the worst thing you can do, the worst charge. And you know it’s not true too. You’re a political operative also. You’re a disgrace. But she’s accusing me and so are you of rape, and it never took place. And I will tell you I made that statement, and I said, while it’s politically incorrect, she’s not my type. And that’s 100 percent true. She’s not my type.
Question: And when you say “not my type,” you want people — your intention of saying — withdrawn. The point of saying she’s not my type is to persuade people that you didn’t rape her because she wasn’t attractive enough; correct?
MADAIO: Object to the form.
HABBA: Objection to the form.
Answer: When I say she’s not my type, I say she is not a woman I would ever be attracted to. There is no reason for me to be attracted to her. I just — it’s not even meant to be an insult. There’s no way I would ever be attracted to her. Now, some people would be attracted to her perhaps. I would never be attracted to her. So in addition to the fact that it never happened, never could happen — so I say it’s politically incorrect to say essentially she’s not my type on top of everything else.
Question: Now, in your Truth Social statement on October 12, you use the word “hoax.” Specifically you say: “It is a hoax and a lie just like all of the other hoaxes that have been played on me for the past seven years.” Do you see that —
Answer: Yeah.
Question: — or recall making that statement? And I take it what you’re saying there is Ms. Carroll fabricated her claim that you sexually assaulted her; correct?
Answer: Yes. Totally. 100 percent.
Question: Fair to say — you’d agree with me, would you not, that you use the term “hoax” quite a lot?
Answer: Yes, I do.
Question: CNN reported that you used it more than 250 times in 2020. Does that sound right?
Answer: Could be. I’ve had a lot of hoaxes played on me. This is one of them.
Question: And how would you define the word “hoax”?
Answer: A fake story, a false story, a made-up story.
Question: Something that’s not true?
Answer: Something that’s not true, yes.
Question: This — when you say “this” and “that” —
Answer: This ridiculous situation that we’re doing right now. It’s a big, fat hoax. She’s a liar and she’s a sick person in my opinion. Really sick. Something wrong with her.
Question: Now, the same night that you posted on Truth Social the posts that’s been marked as DJT 28, you also posted a video; correct?
Answer: I don’t know. Maybe. I hope.
Question: So you don’t deny that you posted that video on Truth Social, sir?
Answer: No, not at all.
Question: And whose idea was it to —
Answer: Mine.
Question: Who instructed that it be done?
Answer: Me.
Question: Before that video was posted on Truth Social, did you approve it as it was — did you approve it?
Answer: Yeah, I approved it.
Question: Have you ever kissed a woman without her consent?
Answer: Well, I don’t — I can’t think of any complaints. But no. I mean, I don’t think so. I think it’s an inappropriate question, but I don’t think so.
Question: Have you ever touched a woman on her breast or her buttocks or any other sexual part without her consent?
HABBA: Objection to form.
Answer: Well, I will tell you no, but you may have some people like your client that lie.
BY MS. KAPLAN:
Question: Have you ever pressured a woman to engage in sex with you?
Answer: The answer is no. But you may have some people like your client who are willing to lie.
Question: Do you know what “sexual harassment” means?
