Republicans and Democrats reacted to the May 9 news that a jury found former President Donald Trump liable for sexually assaulting advice columnist E. Jean Carroll in 1996, resulting in an award of $5 million in a judgment that could plague the former president as he campaigns for reelection.
Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) responded to The Epoch Times’ question about the verdict by saying, “I congratulate Jean Carroll on her victory. This is Donald Trump’s first conviction, but I don’t expect it to be his last conviction. I think this Trump on trial journey is just beginning.”
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) was asked by reporters his thoughts on whether the ruling should—or would—make it difficult for Trump to continue his campaign. Shortly after the news broke, the senator responded by saying that is “up to voters” as to whether they think he should be president.
Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) also answered reporters’ questions about the jury’s finding on battery and defamation, saying, “You never like to hear that a former president has been found in a civil court guilty of those types of actions … we are looking for an individual to lead this party forward in a united method.”
Rounds also said he is “looking forward to Tim Scott” as a possible presidential candidate, and that he believes Scott is someone who could “reunite the party.”
When asked by The Epoch Times whether he thought the allegations against Trump were credible, Rounds said, “I don’t know anything more about it than what the jury does, and the jury says they were.”
Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) also reacted, including with misinformation, saying Trump was “convicted” of sexual assault. In reality, the former president was found civilly liable to Carroll.
The verdict was announced on the first day of jury deliberations in a New York federal courtroom. The jury dismissed Carroll’s allegations that she was raped but found Trump responsible for assault.
Earlier in the morning on May 9, U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan instructed the nine-person jury on the law before the panel began discussing Carroll’s allegations of battery and defamation around noon.
Kaplan instructed jurors that the first question on the verdict form was to determine whether Trump assaulted Carroll in a department store dressing room with a probability greater than 50 percent. If they responded affirmatively, they would then determine whether to award compensatory and punitive damages.
If they answered no to the rape question, they could then determine whether Trump subjected her to lesser forms of assault, such as sexual contact without her consent, forcible stroking to denigrate her, or sexual gratification. If they answered yes to either of these inquiries, they will determine whether or not damages are warranted.
