Donald Trump tells CNN on ‘wack job’ sex abuse verdict: ‘My poll numbers up’
In a live CNN town hall, former US President Donald Trump doubled down on his false claims.
As he faced interview questions from the outlet for the first time since 2016. Ahead of the interview, Donald Trump’s campaign said that he was appearing on the network to step outside of his comfort zone as he might be in a potential 2024 general election rematch with Joe Biden, again.
His appearance came a day after a New York jury found him liable for sexually abusing columnist E. Jean Carroll nearly 30 years ago and defaming her. The jury ordered Donald Trump to pay the columnist $5 million in damages but rejected her claim of rape, saying that Donald Trump was responsible for a lesser degree of sexual assault.
Donald Trump, when asked about the verdict, said that his poll numbers went up and repeated his statements that he didn’t know Carroll.
“I don’t know her. I never met her. I had no idea who she is,” he said. He dismissed a question about whether it would impact his standing with female voters and in response, recounted E. Jean Carroll’s claims in a mocking voice. Donald Trump then called it “a fake story” and referred to the columnist as “a wack job.”
When questioned about the infamous “Access Hollywood” video in which he bragged about grabbing women’s genitals without asking permission, Donald Trump defended his comments by saying that he had said women let him grab their genitals without permission because he was a star.
“I can’t take that back because it happens to be true,” Donald Trump said.
The former US President also repeated his lies about the 2020 presidential election, repeating claims of election fraud. Calling, it a “rigged election” and a “shame”, Donald Trump called for honest elections and then pivoted to other subjects.
On the insurrection at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, Donald Trump said, “They were there proud. They were there with love in their heart. That was unbelievable and it was a beautiful day.”
Responding to a question about the US Supreme Court overturning abortion rights last year, Donald Trump took credit for appointing three of the justices who joined in the majority ruling.
“It was such a great victory and people are starting to understand it now,” he said. He then repeatedly said he would “do what’s right,” without specifying what that was.