Clips from Trump’s deposition shown at E. Jean Carroll trial

Jurors at the trial hearing E. Jean Carroll’s case against former President Trump were shown footage from the former president’s 2022 deposition, where he defended infamous comments he made in a 2005 “Access Hollywood” tape.

During the deposition, Trump was showed the 2005 “Access Hollywood” tape that included comments he made about grabbing women sexually without asking for their permission, NBC News reported.

The tape previously served as the catalyst for controversy in October 2016, when the footage was originally unveiled to the American public a month before the presidential election.

“I just start kissing them. It’s like a magnet. Just kiss. I don’t even wait. And when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything,” he said in the “Access Hollywood” tape, later adding, “Grab ’em by the p—-.”

When asked about the remarks, he replied, “Well, historically, that’s true with stars.”

NBC reported that when he was pressed further on whether it was true that stars could grab women sexually, he said, “Well, that’s what — if you look over the last million years, I guess that’s been largely true. Not always, but largely true. Unfortunately or fortunately.”

When Carroll’s lawyer asked if Trump considered himself a “star,” he said, “I think you can say that, yeah.”

Trump, who has said that he could not have raped Carroll because she is “not his type,” also mistook a photo of Carroll for his second wife, Marla Maples, during the deposition. Reuters reported that Trump was shown a black-and-white photo of the former president talking to people at an event, to which he said, “It’s Marla.”

He was then corrected by his lawyer when he was asked if he was saying that photo showed Maples. Alina Habba, Trump’s lawyer said, “No, that’s Carroll,” according to Reuters.

In 2019, Carroll came forward to accuse Trump of raping her in a department store dressing room in the 1990s. She is now suing the former president for sexual battery over the alleged assault and for defamation over a 2022 post on Truth Social where he denied the allegations and criticized Carroll’s appearance.

The trial in Carroll’s case started last week, when she opened her testimony with, “I’m here because Donald Trump raped me, and when I wrote about it, he said it didn’t happen.” In the video deposition showed to the jury this week, Trump also called the allegations “the most ridiculous, disgusting story” and “made up.”

Trump said Thursday that he will “probably attend” the trial to “confront this,” even though lawyers said Tuesday he will not testify at trial. His legal team also announced Wednesday that they are not planning to call any witnesses.

“I have to go back for a woman that made a false accusation about me, and I have a judge who is extremely hostile,” Trump said Thursday. “And I’m going to go back, and I’m going to confront this. This woman is a disgrace, and it shouldn’t be allowed to happen in our country.”