E. Jean Carroll, a writer, began her testimony on Wednesday by stating, “I’m here because Donald Trump raped me,” and then went on to describe the alleged encounter she had with the former president in a store back in the 1990s. Her lawyer, Mike Ferrara, questioned Carroll about the circumstances leading up to the alleged incident.
Carroll claims that during an accidental encounter with Trump at a Bergdorf Goodman store in the 1990s, he raped her in a changing room.
She claimed that after teasing one other for a while they toured the shop, and they joked about trying on women’s underwear.
Trump then allegedly opened a dressing room door, which she walked into before he “shoved” her against a wall, pulled down her tights, and “inserted his penis,” Carroll said during the testimony.
She stated that she doesn’t recall saying “no” out loud during the encounter and claimed she is “not a screamer,” but she tried to push him away, and “it was quite clear I didn’t want anything else to happen.”
Carroll claimed that she told Lisa Birnbach and Carol Martin, two friends who will also testify later in the trial, about the incident.
Carroll concluded her testimony by stating that she had never previously come forward regarding the alleged rape because she was “ashamed,” believed it was her fault, and was afraid of being perceived as “soiled goods” or hearing that she should have yelled or shouldn’t have flirted so much.
Trump is not attending the trial in person, but he was given a warning on Wednesday morning to stop talking about it on social media after calling the case a “scam” and labeling his accuser a liar twice on Truth Social.
