Donald Trump ordered to pay $83.3m in damages for defaming columnist and rape accuser E Jean Carroll
26 January 2024, 21:48 | Updated: 27 January 2024, 00:28
Donald Trump has been ordered to pay $83.3m in damages for defaming writer and rape accuser E Jean Carroll.
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A previous civil fraud trial found that Carroll was sexually abused by the former US President in the 1990s.
This case was about comments he made in 2019, when he was still president.
Trump accused Carroll of being a liar, which a judge has ruled was defamatory.
The former president gave less than three minutes of testimony in the case yesterday, before telling the court he had showed up to "defend the presidency".
He could then be heard muttering 'this is not America' as he left the courtroom.
A lawyer acting on behalf of Trump argued that Ms Carroll deserved no payout as she had 'enjoyed the attention' and suffered no professional or emotional harm after being called a liar.
Meanwhile, Ms Carroll's lawyer said: "This case is also about punishing Donald Trump... This trial is about getting him to stop once and for all."
It comes after Trump stormed out of the courtroom earlier today.
After the ruling, he posted on his social media account Truth: "I fully disagree with both verdicts, and will be appealing this whole Biden Directed Witch Hunt focused on me and the Republican Party.
"Our Legal System is out of control, and being used as a Political Weapon.
"They have taken away all First Amendment Rights. THIS IS NOT AMERICA!"
Trump has repeatedly claimed the number of legal cases he faces are being pushed along by the Democrats, Joe Biden's party.
He currently faces four criminal cases for a total of 91 felony counts. Trump is the first president in US history to be charged with a crime.
After he recently stormed to victory in the New Hampshire primary, it is likely that Trump will be the Republican presidential nominee.
This will set up a Biden vs Trump rematch in the November 2024 election, the first time this has happened since 1956.
