TRUMP RAPE HOAX

 

Trumps wins legal battle with ABC

THE TRUMP IS A RAPIST HOAX

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By The American Debunk on December 15, 2024 This hoax stems from the civil court case Carroll v. Trump, which was filed in November 2019 and scheduled for January 2024. Media and pundits celebrated the verdicts in E. Jean Carroll's lawsuits against Donald Trump, claiming they proved Trump's guilt in a sexual assault that allegedly occurred nearly three decades ago in a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room. They emphasized that Carroll's case, which stemmed from her allegation that Trump raped her in the mid-1990s in the dressing room of a department store and subsequently defamed her by publicly denying the accusations, was a damning indictment of Trump. The civil trial, prompted by Trump's denials, resulted in verdicts that were widely interpreted as vindicating Carroll's claims and holding Trump accountable for both the alleged assault and his statements about Carroll. What Really Happened Trump Was Never Convicted Of Rape, And Here's The Context They Hid From You E. Jean Carroll's lawsuit relied on retroactive law changes. New York passed the Adult Survivors Act (ASA), a law passed in May 2022 in New York, allowing civil suits for sexual assault beyond expired statutes of limitations. This case was civil because the alleged incident was decades old and could not be pursued criminally. Civil cases require a lower burden of proof, and the jury only needed to reach a majority decision, not unanimity. This contrasts with criminal trials, where unanimity and proof "beyond a reasonable doubt" are required. Carroll does not know which year the incident ocurred, but claims the incident occurred in 1995 or 1996. Keeping the timeline vague is significant, as pinpointing a specific month or week could enable Trump to present evidence proving he was not in New York at the alleged time. During the trial, Trump’s attorney pointed out that Carroll’s account closely resembled a 2012 episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. In the episode, a character describes a role-play scenario involving a rape fantasy in the dressing room of Bergdorf Goodman, the same location Carroll mentioned. Carroll called the resemblance "astonishing" but denied seeing the episode. There were no witnesses to support her allegations, and although she was raped in a dressing room of a busy department store, she didn't scream. Carroll said she was a massive fan of The Apprentice, Trump's hit TV show. This means she deliberately chose to watch a show featuring the man she accused of raping her as its star. The jury concluded that rape did not occur but held Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation. In essence, they listened to Carroll's testimony, reviewed the evidence, and chose to believe only parts of her account. This raises a critical question: why? While the jury could have explained why they accepted some aspects of Carroll's story but not others, they opted not to do so. Their decision infers they believed Trump kissed her without consent and penetrated her with his fingers but stopped short of accepting her claim of rape. Carroll admitted there were no eyewitnesses to corroborate her claims. The case heavily relied on Carroll’s testimony and accounts from two friends who claimed Carroll told them about the incident after it happened. This means all it would take to persuade the jury was two friends who hated Trump who could confirm Carroll told them about the incident after it happened. Carroll once stated in a 2019 CNN interview with Anderson Cooper, "Rape is sexy" and "it’s a fantasy that many people have." She later clarified that she was referring to the prevalence of sexual violence in media and entertainment, not endorsing the concept. These statements were highlighted by Trump’s legal team to question her credibility. Timeline Carroll’s Allegations Made Public (June 2019) Carroll first accused Trump of sexual assault in her memoir, published in New York Magazine. She claimed Trump assaulted her in a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room in the mid-1990s, though her timeline lacked clarity. The Adult Survivors Act Passed (May 2022) New York passed the ASA, creating a one-year window for survivors of sexual assault to file lawsuits regardless of when the incidents occurred. The ASA was modeled after a similar law for childhood abuse survivors. This coincidently happened at the same time Trump was running for a second term and Carroll pursued a civil case against him. Carroll Files a Lawsuit (November 24, 2022) Carroll filed her lawsuit against Trump on the day the ASA took effect, leveraging the law’s provision to bypass the expired statute of limitations. May 2023 Verdict A jury found Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation, awarding Carroll $5 million in damages. They rejected her rape allegation. Carroll’s claims were supported by testimonies from two friends she confided in years later, but there were no eyewitnesses to the alleged incident. Carroll Wins Additional Damages (January 2024) In a second trial focused on defamation, Carroll was awarded $83.3 million, stemming from Trump’s comments about her after the initial verdict. Trump is Currently Appealing The Verdict (December 2024) ABC Pays Trump $15 Million For Lying To Viewers, Saying He Raped Carroll (December 2024) ABC News has reached a settlement with Donald Trump over false statements made by George Stephanopoulos during a March 2024 interview, in which he incorrectly claimed that "judges and two separate juries" had found Trump liable for rape. As part of the settlement, ABC will pay $15 million toward Trump’s future presidential library, cover $1 million in his legal fees, and publish an editor's note expressing regret for the inaccurate statements. The case stemmed from a 2023 New York civil court ruling that found Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation against E. Jean Carroll but not rape, under the narrow legal definition of the term. Trump is appealing the verdicts in this and another defamation case involving Carroll. ABC stated it was pleased with the settlement, which avoids further legal proceedings. Hoaxology | How the Hoax Was Made Appeal to Authority The narrative leaned on the jury’s "liability" finding as proof of Trump’s guilt, ignoring that civil cases require only a preponderance of evidence—far less rigorous than the standard in criminal trials. Media coverage amplified the verdict as a definitive judgment of Trump's culpability. Highlighting Emotional Reactions Carroll’s account, coupled with her media appearances and dramatic storytelling, evoked strong emotional reactions. However, inconsistencies in her story, such as the timeline and the eerie similarities to a scene from Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, were underreported. Selective Reporting Key details, such as Carroll’s past controversial remarks (e.g., claiming "most women have rape fantasies") and the absence of direct witnesses, were downplayed or ignored. Instead, the focus remained on the verdict and Carroll’s perceived bravery. Circular Reporting Media outlets repeatedly cited each other, building a perception of widespread consensus that Carroll’s allegations were credible. This circular reporting lent undue weight to the claim that the verdict "proved" Trump’s guilt.