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Judge clarifies Trump was found to have raped E. Jean Carroll

writersApr 27, 2026293,026

A New York judge ruled that the jury’s civil finding that Donald Trump sexually abused E. Jean Carroll in a Manhattan department store in the mid-1990s legally amounts to rape, saying the jury used the narrower label because New York civil categories did not allow the word rape. A jury previously found Trump liable for sexual abuse and battery and awarded Carroll $5 million in damages. The judge’s clarification cements the conduct’s characterization in the court record and ensures future civil citations and public accounts will treat the verified conduct as rape rather than a lesser label.

Mehdi Hasan
@mehdirhasan.bsky.social

Trump says ‘I’m not a rapist, I didn’t rape anybody’ and Norah O’Donnell doesn’t mention the E Jean Carroll case or the jury finding him liable for sexual abuse or the judge saying it could be said Trump did ‘rape’ her in the ‘commonly’ understood sense: www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

253845d ago
jack69

these “journalists” know exactly what they’re doing

Bumbles Bounce32

Trump also said he was totally exonerated by the Epstein files and it was only Democrats who were guilty of having a relationship with Epstein, and O'Donnell just let that pass. O'Donnell is no Mike Wallace. She's not even a Barbara Walters. If anything, she's closest to Ron Burgundy.

Jocelyn Schitt23

He has raped women other than Jean Carroll, including children While I appreciate the impulse to only affirm what a court of law has ruled… everybody knows he is a *serial* rapist and pedophile

fumagas.bsky.social19

If these so-called journalists don't have the guts to confront him, why are they wasting their damn time? Cowards!

Chris⚖️Justice13

🧵 Trump sex crimes bsky.app/profile/chri...

John Y13

yup, he was not exonerated...quite the opposite.

The Bishop 🇬🇧🇪🇺🇺🇦🇨🇦🏴‍☠️💙10

American journalism and the media are just as responsible for the Trump mess the world’s now dealing with as the GOP — and large parts of a complacent, self-interested, misogynistic electorate.

David Dickinson8

Nor did she say that the DOJ has been illegally withholding the Epstein files which, if he claims exonerate him from being a pedophile, he could use to prove his innocence.

Weshlovrcm7

Well that's the problem. No one challenges Dishonest Donald to his face WHEN HE SAYS THIS STUFF.

tellmeitsgonnabeok.bsky.social6

The judge said the verdict did not mean that Carroll "failed to prove that Mr. Trump 'raped' her as many people commonly understand the word 'rape.' Indeed ... the jury found that Mr. Trump in fact did exactly that."

Joy5

Notice: People will rush to defend the "honor" of a probable child mol*ster and rap*st... yet not rush to help children living in tents, children dying of cancer, children blown to pieces or shot in schools... & on and on. And call themselves "Christian?!" Their judgment isn't gonna be pretty.

N Von Ho4

“I am not a crook!”

lisaandotis.bsky.social4

What part of rapist pedophile does he not get?

Jazzy girl 🐸💙🐾4

I guess grabbing women in their private areas without consent is not rape or assault which he’s on tape admitting to it. He’s insane on top of the dementia.

Dangerouslytalented4

he's flailing. there's no talking points beyond "need new ballroom", which all the rightwing grifters are parroting, as if centrally controlled by an app that does or does not exist. His closest lackeys seemed thrilled after the attempt. Everybody's saying it's staged, but the whole lot is bungled

Shelley4

She did get her point across on this one.

Orbyious (Oh it's him)3

An yet 33% of the voting population still voted for him knowing he had been in a court called a rapist Just goes to show how low the bar is for the voting population of the USA to elect some one I'm wondering when they will wake up to the fact the rest of the world is done with the USA

ManleyAJManley3

👏🏻 good for her, and he has no clue that he’s coming across as an uneducated moron with his insulting and childish responses.

DavePS3

Capitalism has made Americans so self centered and emotionally/psychologically damaged they would do anything for money, career, and social status.

dmoschberger.bsky.social2

Yes, Trump is a rapist & a dozen other evil things. Could we please return to the important stuff? Senseless Iran war destroying the world economy. Destroying our standing globally. Economy. Epstein files! The not-a-ceasefire in Gaza & continued genocide of Palestinians.

Jay Talerman2

Nor did she fact check him on violent rhetoric. She was so close to doing this right!

Pamela Cooper2

He’s so sick. Babbling & projecting like the rabid dog he is. He just made everything worse for himself.

🅹🅴🆁🅾🅼🅴 🅶🆄🆈2

That's exactly why he won in 2024, I remember when Trump claimed he wasn't aware of Project 2025, it was just before adding that he disagreed with it... and it was fine, no one insisted, Trump claimed so it's true.

Kristina Newhouse2

And just how was she going squeeze that sound bite into the interview?

Pratchet2

ENTIRE "enemy of the people" media establishment memory holed a credible accusation Trump raped a 13yr old, then went to drink champagne with the pedophile rapist that tried to have the same legislators in the room murdered on Jan 6th while Raskin goes on tele and says "I have no problem with DT."

Tom Burnett2

Or, the fact that we all heard him *literally* BRAGGING about doing it and getting away with it because he’s famous.

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