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E. Jean Carroll has commented on the significant $83 million judgement against Donald Trump, stating that the jury sent a clear message by saying, “enough.”
Washington — A federal judge has mandated that Donald Trump must appear for a deposition concerning his defamation lawsuit against ABC News and its anchor, George Stephanopoulos. The order, issued by Magistrate Judge Lisette Reid on Friday, indicates that Trump will need to provide an in-person testimony next week as part of the legal proceedings initiated in March, which accuses Stephanopoulos of making false and damaging remarks during a broadcast.
During a March 10 interview with Republican Representative Nancy Mace from South Carolina, Stephanopoulos stated that Trump had been “found liable for rape.” This assertion referred back to a jury’s previous decision in New York, where Trump was found liable for sexually abusing writer E. Jean Carroll and subsequently defaming her by denying her allegations. The presiding judge in that case clarified that the sexual abuse for which Trump was deemed responsible—involving the forcible penetration of Carroll with his fingers—is generally understood as “rape,” despite being categorized differently under the law.
In his lawsuit, Trump alleges that Stephanopoulos acted with “actual malice or with a reckless disregard for the truth,” claiming that Stephanopoulos is aware that the statements he made are “patently and demonstrably false.”
Judge Reid’s ruling specifies that Trump’s deposition will take place in the Southern District of Florida, where Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate is situated. The scope of questioning during the deposition is limited to four hours, as per the judge’s directive.
Stephanopoulos has also been ordered to undergo a deposition next week, with the option to attend either in person or virtually; this session will similarly be constrained to four hours.
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Caitlin Yilek holds the position of a politics reporter at CBSNews.com, operating from Washington, D.C. Before joining CBS, she worked with the Washington Examiner and The Hill, and she was a participant in the 2022 Paul Miller Washington Reporting Fellowship with the National Press Foundation.
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