The woman who was awarded a historic $5 million court victory against Donald Trump this week has called the result “probably the happiest day of my life.”
Writer E. Jean Carroll said she felt “fantastic” during an appearance on “Good Morning America” Wednesday. Her response comes just a day after a Manhattan jury found the 76-year-old former president liable for sexual abuse in connection to a 1996 incident in a Bergdorf Goodman fitting room.
“Yesterday was probably the happiest day of my life,” she said of the $5 million decision found in her favor.
The historic decision, made by a jury of six men and three women, will likely have widespread implications for Trump in the upcoming 2024 election. Tuesday’s result marks the first time a former president or even a significant candidate was found liable for such an act, according to the New York Post.
However, Caroll claims she had no political motivation for the lawsuit and only “decided to come forward and tell what happened. I thought that was enough,” she went on to say.
RELATED: Attorneys Of Woman Accusing Donald Trump Of Rape Are Demanding A DNA Test
“I feel fantastic. Yesterday was probably the happiest day of my life.” — E. Jean Carroll on her reaction after former Pres. Trump was found liable for battery and defamation in civil case. https://t.co/UDk3N9S5vu pic.twitter.com/8c1IAZn0Tn
— Good Morning America (@GMA) May 10, 2023
Carroll Speaks On Traumatic, Defamatory Four-Year Experience Of Suing Trump
Caroll added that the entire experience of suing Trump was traumatic and was defamed by for former commander-in-chief for the duration of the case.
“Then, he said terrible things about me. Ground my face in the dirt. It was horrible,” she said.
The decision makes for an end to the four-year ordeal, of which she remains “always shaken” following her three days of testimony. She said she could still remember the pain from the alleged rape despite it occurring 26 years ago.
She went on to say that she oftentimes “blamed” herself for the abuse but drew strength from “telling the truth.”
“I was shaken quite a bit. But I felt strong because I knew I was telling the truth,” she said. “And I just stuck to it.”
E. Jean Carroll is a hero. She stood up to Donald Trump, never waivered in her pursuit of justice, and today, a jury has just found Donald Trump guilty of sexually assaulting her and awarded her $5 million. This is the definition of courage and bravery. Thank you, E. Jean. pic.twitter.com/VLIez6C7mg
— Victor Shi (@Victorshi2020) May 9, 2023
Trump Responds To Jury’s Historic $5 Million Decision Against Him, Calls It A “Witch Hunt”
Meanwhile, Trump called the lawsuit and decision a “witch hunt” on his Truth Social account, claiming the case “is all about election interference” in a rant from Tuesday night to Wednesday morning.
“THIS WITCH HUNT IS ALL ABOUT ELECTION INTERFERENCE, BUT SO FAR IT SEEMS TO BE BACKFIRING ON THE RADICAL LEFT MISFITS WHO CAN’T WIN AN ELECTION WITHOUT CHEATING!”
Trump accused New York Judge Lewis Kaplan, who oversaw the case, of “being a terrible person, completely biased,” and added he should have recused himself from the proceedings.
It’s important to note that Trump was not criminally convicted of sexual assault.
He was only found civilly liable, and no determination of guilt was made by the jury.
Because it is a civil case and due to the statute of limitations, Trump cannot be found guilty of a crime.
