Closing arguments heard in Donald Trump rape trial

Closing arguments were heard for Donald Trump's civil rape trial, where former L magazine advice columnist E. Gene Carroll accused the ex-US president of rape and defamation. A lawyer for Carroll argued on Monday that Trump's absence from the trial shows that, quote, he did it. Lawyer Mike Ferrero told jurors, quote, he never looked you in the eye and denied raping Ms. Carroll. Add, quote, you should draw the conclusion that that's because he did it. 79-year-old Carroll sued 76-year-old Trump, alleging he raped her in a Manhattan department store in 1995 or 1996, and then defamed her by denying it happened in an October 2022 post on Trump's Truth Social platform.

In that post, he called her claims a complete con job and a hoax and a lie. Trump waived his right to testify at trial and opted not to present a defense, gambling that jurors will find that Carroll failed to make a persuasive case. In his closing argument Monday, Trump's lawyer Joe Tachapina said Carroll's inability to record the date of the alleged incident made it impossible for Trump to defend himself by citing an alibi and called the case an affront to justice. This is an absolutely outrageous case, Tachapina said. Two of Carroll's longtime friends had testified that she told them about the attack shortly after it occurred and said they believed her. Carroll, who was seen leaving the New York court, is seeking unspecified monetary damages. Her lawyer told jurors the lawsuit is not about the money but about Carroll getting her name back.

The six-man three-woman jury is expected to begin deliberating on Tuesday.

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