Donald Trump verdict: E Jean Carroll 'overwhelmed with joy' after jury finds former president sexually abused her

Donald Trump verdict: E Jean Carroll 'overwhelmed with joy' after jury finds former president sexually abused her

In an interview with NBC News’ Savannah Guthrie on the Today show, the 79-year-old said the court win was not about the millions she was awarded in damages, but securing a victory for all women.

“I am overwhelmed with joy and happiness and delight for the women in this country,” she said.

“This is not about the money. This is about getting my name back,” Carroll added.

The former US president was also found to have defamed Ms Carroll, but the civil trial rejected her claim she was raped during the encounter.

Trump, who is campaigning for the 2024 presidency, must pay the former Elle magazine advice columnist $5m in damages.

He has consistently denied Carroll’s claims.

“I have absolutely no idea who this woman is. This verdict is a disgrace – a continuation of the greatest witch hunt of all time!” he wrote on his social media site, Truth Social, after the verdicts were handed down.

A Trump campaign spokesman said in a statement Tuesday: “This case will be appealed, and we will ultimately win.”

On what she would say to Mr Trump given the opportunity, Ms Carroll said she approached his lawyer, Joe Tacopina, at the conclusion of the case and let him know.

“Tacopina put out his hand and I said, ‘He did it and you know it.’ So I got my chance,” she recalled.

Ms Carroll was alongside her lawyer, Roberta Kaplan, who said she was confident that her client will collect the damages from Mr Trump and that his team has no grounds for an appeal.

“I’ve rarely felt more confident about an appeal as I do about this one,” she said.

Ms Carroll claimed she bumped into Trump in a department store in Manhattan in 1995 or 1996 and that he ended up raping her in a changing room.

She also said he defamed her by claiming she made up the story.

The nine-person jury deliberated for just under three hours before finding him guilty on Tuesday.