A video recording of the former US President Donald Trump responding to allegations of rape has been released to the public. This is the first time the video has been made available, and it provides a rare insight into Trump’s firm denial of the accusations against him.
Jurors watched the video of Trump’s October 2022 deposition over the last few days during the trial over a lawsuit filed against him by advice columnist E. Jean Carroll. Transcripts of his testimony had previously been made public, but not the recording itself.
The video was made available Friday to news organizations covering the proceedings.
The video shows Trump answering questions in a navy suit and a blue tie. On camera, he calls Carroll’s claim that he raped her in a luxury Manhattan department store “a false, disgusting lie.”
“It’s a disgrace. Frankly, it’s a disgrace that something like this can be brought,” Trump says.
He reiterates in the video his assertion that Carroll is not his type, but also mistakes her for his second wife, Marla Maples, when shown a photo of him meeting the plaintiff and her then-husband at an event in the 1980s.
Asked about the “Access Hollywood” video in which he bragged about grabbing women’s genitals, Trump says in his deposition, as he has previously, that he was engaging in “locker room talk,” and justifies his comments about famous people being able to grope women against their will, saying: “Historically that’s true with stars.”
Planned testimony in the trial concluded Thursday, clearing the way for lawyers to make their closing arguments Monday, barring a last-minute decision by Trump to testify in court.
