Trump Decries 'Very Unfair' Rape Defamation Verdict As GOP Senators Question His 2024 Presidential Run

Former President Donald Trump, who was on Tuesday found liable for sexual abuse in a civil trial filed by journalist E. Jean Carroll in a Manhattan court, said it was a "very unfair trial."

What Happened: Trump said on Truth Social, "What else can you expect from a Trump hating, Clinton appointed judge, who went out of his way to make sure that the result was as negative as it could possibly be."

He also decried the jurisdiction in which the trial took place as the "worst place in the U.S. for me to get a fair trial."

In an earlier comment, Trump denied knowing who Carroll was and called the verdict a "disgrace." He said it was a "continuation of the greatest witch hunt of all time!"

Trump was found liable by the jury and ordered to pay her $5 million in damages. Carroll had accused Trump of raping her in a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room in the 1990s and later defaming her.

Why It Matters: Trump, who declared his candidacy as president in November, last month pled not guilty to 34 felony charges after he was arrested for falsifying business records in connection with the payment of hush money to a adult movie actor ahead of his 2016 presidential campaign.

Some Republicans in the Senate have expressed concerns about the former president's standing as a 2024 presidential candidate after he was found to have abused Carroll by the jury, reported The Hill.

"Donald Trump should not be our nominee and he certainly shouldn't be president of the United States," said Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah), according to the report.

Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) reportedly told the media after the verdict that it was a "concern" that Trump had been held liable.

"If what the woman says…he's been found to be civilly liable, how could it do anything else but create a concern?"

He asked, "If she were your sister, what would you think?"

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) said he doesn't believe the verdict would impact voters.

"I don't think it changes anybody's minds, one way or the other. …I think people who support President Trump, support President Trump. People who don't support President Trump, don't support him and I don't think this will have any impact," reported The Hill.

This illustration was generated using artificial intelligence via MidJourney.

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