Quote, the world finally knows the truth.
That statement coming from writer E. Jean Carroll after she won her civil lawsuit against
Donald Trump.
A federal jury in Manhattan found that trump sexually abused Carroll in a department store
dressing room in the '90s and defamed her by denying her claim.
Trump has been ordered to pay Carroll $5 million.
The former president reacting on his social media platform.
>> What else do you expect from a trump appointed hating judge who made sure that the result
of this trial was as negative as it possibly could be.
Speaking to and in control of a jury from an anti-Trump area which is probably the worst
place in the United States for me to get a fair trial.
We will be appealing this decision.
It's a disgrace.
[8:23:57 AM]
It's a disgrace.
>> We should note it was an anonymous jury.
Joining us is E. Jean Carroll and her attorney Roberta Kaplan.
Welcome.
>> Thank you for having us.
>> We will remember that you said I am trying to get my life back.
>> Yes.
>> I am here to try to get my life back.
>> Yes, yesterday was so -- that was such a happy -- I was such a happy woman.
I felt like we had accomplished that.
>> You did.
>> Yeah.
>> Talk about what you were thinking as the jury's decisions were read off in your mind
-- >> We were sitting there like this.
Robbie's hand, it was like holding a block of ice.
And we didn't have any idea what the jury was going to do.
The former president is incorrect.
The jury was not from Manhattan.
Where was it from, Robbie?
>> Mostly westchester and north.
>> Yeah.
Six men, three women.
His kind of jury, actually.
And so when the verdict came in, she squeezed my hand so hard I
[8:24:59 AM]
she squeezed my hand so hard I almost yelped, but it was a great moment.
>> What about when that first finding was found, that this jury found that trump did
not rape you?
What about that moment?
>> Robbie can explain the legal -- >> Sure.
And I want you to.
But what went through your head when you heard that?
>> Well, I just immediately say into my head, oh, yes, you did, oh, yes, you did.
See, that's my response.
>> Look, New York law on sexual crimes like this is complicated and probably not appropriate
for morning viewers.
The truth of the matter is, if it's sexual abuse, which he was found guilty of, is a
very, very serious offense.
I am not going to get in the body parts with you it's a very serious offense.
Most importantly, she wanted her name back as you said at the beginning.
She got her name back and the jury found that he lied and he lied about her maliciously.
>> I don't think anybody was
[8:26:00 AM]
>> I don't think anybody was surprised by the stuff we heard from the former president
last night.
You addressed him talking about the jury.
Another thing he and his lawyers often spoke about is the lack of disclosure about a big
democratic donor funding part of this case.
Was there a reason it wasn't disclosed?
Did you view this as political in any way?
>> No.
I completely -- it was -- I just completely forgot that he even existed.
>> In your deposition?
>> Yes, in my deposition.
>> Because trump lawyers have called is that, Roberta, a sign of bias.
It raises questions about the motives of bringing this case and I wonder what the reaction is.
>> Every single witness, every one of those 11 witnesses who testified in this case testified
under oath and told the truth not because they don't like trump, but because it was
the truth.
That's what this case was about.
Who was telling the truth?
The jury decided that E. Jean was telling the truth.
There may be witnesses who don't like trump.
There may have been jurors that Joe tacopina said don't like trump.
That process was about the truth under the law and that's what
[8:27:02 AM]
under the law and that's what the jury found.
>> I don't want to make this a political conversation but the dissonance between the moment yesterday
on the front pages of all.
Newspapers, getting your life back.
Something you have been thinking about and going through for decades and at the same
time looking over and seeing that that man is also the frontrunner for the Republican
nomination for president and you listen to Republicans who were asked about this yesterday
and some version of what we heard for six years prior, don't want to talk about it,
dodge, say there is something corrupt about the process.
How do you kind of reconcile that moment, I guess?
>> Here is how.
Yesterday the old view of what the perfect victim looks like totally changed.
>> What do you mean?
>> The old view of the perfect victim was a woman who always screamed, a woman who immediately
reported, a woman whose life is supposed to fold up and she is never supposed to experience
happiness again.
That was just shut down with this verdict.
[8:28:03 AM]
this verdict.
The death of the perfect victim has happened.
Now this verdict is for all women.
This is not really about me.
It's for every single woman.
>> In the courtroom there was an encounter, exchange between you and the president's lawyer,
Joe tacopina.
He came up.
You shook hands, I believe.
What did he say?
>> Joe tacopina is very likable.
He is like an 18th century strutting peacock.
People like him.
So when he sticks out his hand -- first he congratulated Robbie and then he congratulated
people on the team and as I put my hand forward I said, he did it and you know it.
And then we shook hands and I passed on.
>> Did he say anything in response?
>> No.
He is a hail fellow well met.
He went on shaking hands and smiling.
[8:29:08 AM]
smiling.
>> The response you got afterwards, this is for all woman.
A significant number of women were certainly behind new the case, backed you in the case.
In the hours since, I don't think you have had a lot of time to check your phone or calls
or emails, what's the response been given what you are laying out in terms of the perfect
victim being shattered?
>> There are no words.
There are no words.
I just now saw the headlines.
I am really sort of taking in the moment and overwhelming flood of a lot of hate.
That's part of it.
But overwhelming amount of relief and joy and feeling of at last and the surge of there
is sort of a feeling of victory, that at last somebody has held him accountable in a courtroom.
Thanks to Robbie Kaplan.
[8:30:09 AM]
Thanks to Robbie Kaplan.
So it's such a mash of overwhelming emotions, it's hard to put into words.
>> What about appeals?
We heard the president say they will appeal.
Our Paula Reid with her brilliant legal analysis earlier talked about that's going to be a
tough appeal to make.
What would the grounds be when the trump team didn't present a defense and he didn't step
foot in that courtroom?
Your perspective?
>> We heard Donald Trump say on the tape that the judge went out of his way to be unfair.
Able actually, the opposite is true.
He went out of his way to be fair to Donald Trump.
He gave him multiple opportunities to show up in the courtroom and testify and Donald
Trump decided not to.
There are no issues in this case on appeal.
They will make them, but there are no serious issues on appeal and your colleague is absolutely
right.
>> If trump had -- well, first, do you wish he can come?
>> Yeah, I did do.
>> What would you have said.
>> I would have loved to see Robbie put him on the stand.
I just would have loved it.
[8:31:11 AM]
I just would have loved it.
If you have seen any portions of the deposition, that was Robbie doing the questions.
>> We have.
>> It would have been a glorious moment.
However, I think he was frightened.
I think he was frightened.
I think he was frightened of her.
>> What's next?
This has to be an all-consuming --
>> I am going to get a dog for my dog because I have been -- so he needs somebody to play
with.
So I am going to get a dog, go to the pound, great nice dog for my dog.
>> $5 million.
Are you going to see it?
>> Oh, you know what?
I was even unaware of how much it was.
Robbie had to tell me.
This is not about the money.
Not about the money.
This is accomplishing something that I set out to do many years ago is to get my name
back, and that's what we did.
>> But you will see it.
>> I want to ask you next -- >> As a lawyer, I promise you E. Jean will
see each and every penny of that $5 million.
>> Something that is important in this, the fact that New York
[8:32:11 AM]
in this, the fact that New York passed this law, adult survivors act.
They passed it just a few years ago.
Were it not for that law, you never would have been been able to this case.
It speaks to the importance for a lot of other survivors.
>> Exactly.
This would never -- I would never have this window, this year of having the ability to
bring a lawsuit for rape.
Robbie can explain it better.
>> E. Jean helped to get that law passed.
It passed last year.
We filed -- it was Thanksgiving day, the first day you could sue.
We filed just after midnight on Thanksgiving.
And there are a lot of other women throughout the state and, hopefully, throughout this
country that they will get other laws like this passed in other states.
New York women should use this law while it's still around, which is until next Thanksgiving.
>> Yeah, there is a reason women stay silent.
They are ashamed and frightened and they are worried about their -- this law gives us that
one-year window.
It's a brilliant law.