Donald Trump: “You wouldn’t be my choice either, to be honest”

Dhe former US President Donald Trump is once again causing a stir with offensive statements about women. On Friday, a video of Trump’s interrogation from last October was released – in connection with a civil lawsuit against the Republican for rape. In the 48-minute clip, plaintiff Jean Carroll’s attorney, Roberta Kaplan, asked Trump questions about the case, which is currently in court in New York. Trump, who has since announced a renewed candidacy for the presidency, once again rejected the allegations and at the same time repeated disparaging remarks about women. He also notably defended his infamous statement that as a celebrity you could touch women’s genitals.

Carroll accuses Trump of raping her in a New York City department store in the mid-1990s. Trump, who was not yet a politician but a real estate entrepreneur, always rejected the accusation – including saying that Carroll was not his “type”. The criminal allegations are statute-barred, but under civil law Carroll was free to file a lawsuit. She demands compensation. The pleadings in the case are expected next week.

“I would definitely not be interested in you”

When asked about Trump’s statements that Carroll wasn’t his type – as well as another woman who had accused him of sexual assault – the Republican said in the interrogation video to attorney Kaplan: “You wouldn’t be my choice either, to be honest be. I hope you are not offended. There’s no way I’d be interested in you.” Trump said he didn’t mean to be offensive. “But if someone accuses me of something, I think I have a right to be insulting.”

Elsewhere, Kaplan provided Trump with a photo in which he mistook Carroll for his then-wife. At the same time, the ex-president repeatedly emphasized that he did not know Carroll, knew nothing about “this crazy person” and only greeted her in the photo at a charity event – without knowing her.

Various women have accused Trump of sexual harassment in the past, which he has always denied. During his 2016 presidential election campaign, an old audio recording was also made public in which Trump made lewd and derogatory statements about women – and about the fact that as a star you could also touch women on their genitals if you wanted to. During the interrogation, the lawyer spoke to Trump about that video and the statements in it. Trump defended his words from the time, saying: “If you look at the last million years, I guess that’s broadly true, not always, but broadly true. Unfortunately – or fortunately.”

Trump sees the process as politically motivated

The Americans elected Trump as president in 2016 despite the vulgar statements. And many other scandals have not brought him down politically in the past. In the 2024 presidential election, Trump wants to run again for the Republicans as a candidate – and among the potential Republican candidates he has so far been ahead. He sees the trial in New York, like other legal investigations against him, as an attempt to stop him politically. In the video that has now been released, Trump also describes attorney Kaplan as a “political agent” and as a “disgrace”.

Carroll’s civil trial against Trump is nearing completion. According to media reports, after all the witnesses of the plaintiff US author had testified, the court scheduled the pleadings for Monday – after which the jury deliberations would follow. The defense is therefore still open until Sunday to request a testimony from Trump on the witness stand. Trump’s lawyers had actually stated that their client did not want to testify in the process. Most recently, however, Trump had said the opposite and brought a trip to New York into play.