Trump denies raping E. Jean Carroll or pressuring any woman to have sex with him in newly unsealed deposition

Former President Donald Trump denied sexually assaulting former magazine columnist E. Jean Carroll and said he never pressured a woman to have sex with him in a deposition transcript that was unsealed Friday.

“But it’s a false accusation. Never happened. Never would,” Trump said of Carroll’s allegation that Trump raped her in a New York department store in the mid-1990s. He went on to criticize Carroll as a “nut job” in his testimony.

Earlier on Friday, Judge Lewis Kaplan denied Trump's plea to block his deposition from becoming public knowledge and ordered that some of it be made available to the public as part of Carroll's defamation lawsuit.

Carroll filed a defamation lawsuit against Trump in 2019 after he rejected her rape accusation. In November, she sued Trump again, this time for battery, even though the crime's statute of limitations had already run. She also submitted the October comment, which she claims was equally defamatory.

In his testimony, Trump said that he created and published the October 2022 statement on the social media site Truth Social. Trump claimed in the statement that Carroll's claims are "a big fat scam" and "a con job." He maintained earlier statements that he didn't know Carroll and that she wasn't his type in his deposition.

Trump claimed he had to defend himself even though it is not "politically correct" to state she isn't his type. He clarified that it wasn't intended as a slight.

"Because I found this woman's lying offensive. I made the statement in October because I was insulted that she could invent a tale out of thin air," Trump testified in court.

It was a "wonderful statement," he said.

Carroll's lawyers, who also represent other clients in lawsuits launched against Trump, were threatened with legal action by Trump.

Trump responded, "Well, I don't," when asked if he had ever kissed a woman without getting her permission. I am at a loss for any criticisms. But no. I mean, I don't believe that. Additionally, he denied ever touching a woman's buttocks or breasts.

Trump was questioned by Carroll's attorney Roberta Kaplan about whether or not he had ever forced a woman to have sex with him.

"No," is the response. Trump testified, "But you might have some people like your client who are willing to lie.

Judge denies Trump’s motion to dismiss Carroll lawsuit:

Also on Friday, Judge Kaplan rejected Trump's request to have Carroll's case dismissed.

The judge stated in his judgment that "Mr. Trump's arguments as to both of Ms. Carroll's petitions for relief are without substance."

In a move to dismiss made in December, Trump said that the Adult Survivors Act, a legislation in New York, violated the due process guarantees in the state constitution.

The judge referenced a recent decision in support of his position that a claim-revival statute is acceptable as long as it is "a reasonable mechanism to address an injustice." "The solution is clear," he declared.

Carroll's second defamation allegation in the lawsuit was likewise referred to as "baseless and legally flawed" in Trump's December petition.

Trump's argument "falls short," the judge concluded, adding that Carroll has "sufficiently pleaded" the conditions of that claim.

Trump's attorney Alina Habba issued a statement in which she said, "While we are disappointed in the Court's ruling, we intend to promptly appeal the order and continue to advocate for our client's constitutionally guaranteed rights.

Roberta Kaplan, Carroll's attorney, stated in a statement, "We are delighted but not surprised that Judge Kaplan refused Donald Trump's petition to dismiss and upheld the legality of New York's Adult Survivors Act. We eagerly anticipate the April trial.