While the jury rejected Carroll’s rape claim, it awarded her $5m in damages for the battery and defamation allegations. The nine-person jury deliberated for just under three hours before reaching its verdict.

Carroll, 79, had accused Trump of raping her in a department store changing room in Manhattan. She also claimed he defamed her by calling her allegations a “hoax and a lie” and suggesting she was seeking compensation and punitive damages. Trump, who did not attend the trial, has consistently denied the allegations and said he never sexually assaulted Carroll or even knew her.

During the trial, jurors were shown a deposition in which Trump confused Carroll for his ex-wife Marla Maples in a photograph. Carroll’s lawyers argued that this undermined the former president’s argument that she was not his type. Trump’s lawyers, meanwhile, accused Carroll of “abusing the system” for “money, status and political reasons”.

In her closing remarks, Carroll’s lawyer said Trump “didn’t even bother to show up in person” and called him a “witness against himself”. The former president waived his right to testify at trial and opted not to present a defence.

Carroll first made her accusations in a 2019 memoir. Her defamation claim concerns an October 2022 post on Truth Social, a social media platform Trump launched, in which he called her allegations a “complete con job.

The verdict marks a significant legal blow to Trump, who is facing multiple legal challenges and investigations. While the damages awarded to Carroll are a fraction of what she sought, the verdict is likely to embolden other women who have accused Trump of sexual misconduct. It also underscores the power of the #MeToo movement in holding powerful men accountable for their actions.