NEW YORK — Former President Donald Trump‘s habits towards ladies, lengthy a supply of flashpoints in his political profession, now faces a brand new stage of scrutiny: a trial in a lawsuit accusing him of rape.

Jury choice is about to begin Tuesday within the case filed by former recommendation columnist E. Jean Carroll, who says Trump raped her in a luxurious New York division retailer dressing room within the Nineties.

Trump, who's unlikely to attend the trial, has known as the accusations “a complete con job.” Carroll, who's looking for unspecified damages, casts the case as a #MeToo-inspired quest for accountability from the epitome of distinguished males.

“I’m filing this lawsuit not just for myself but for every woman in America who has been grabbed, groped, harassed, sexually assaulted and has spoken up and still has been disgraced, shamed or fired,” Carroll mentioned early on.

The lawsuit is placing Trump’s historical past with ladies underneath a microscope as he runs to return to the White House. But if a trial over a rape accusation can be a disaster for many candidates, with Trump, it stays to be seen.

“To the extent that the chaos around Trump is his biggest challenge, this reinforces that narrative,” mentioned Alex Conant, a Republican strategist who labored on Marco Rubio’s 2016 presidential marketing campaign. “The No. 1 thing I hear in focus groups of Republican voters is that they’re tired of the constant drama that comes with Trump.”

Trump‘s political rise was riddled with criticism of his attitudes and conduct toward women. There were his insulting remarks about onetime Republican rival Carly Fiorina’s look, his misogynistic feedback about former Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly, his double-down on denigrating a former Miss Universe whom he had pilloried about her weight and extra - together with, most notoriously, the crass “Access Hollywood” hot-mic recording that just about derailed his 2016 marketing campaign and elicited uncommon contrition for what he known as “locker room banter.”

Then there have been the dozen-plus ladies, together with Carroll, who got here ahead throughout his marketing campaign and presidency to accuse him of sexual assault and harassment. He denied all of the claims. Other lawsuits over them have been dropped or dismissed, however Carroll‘s has endured.

If Trump prevails within the case, he'll possible tout it as one other instance of him beating what he sees as spurious claims about him, Conant mentioned. If Trump loses, the impression might depend upon the circumstances of the judgment. Carroll is looking for unspecified damages and a retraction of Trump’s denials of her allegations.

Trump has aimed to make use of his different authorized troubles - together with a current, unrelated indictment and ongoing investigations into different issues - to bolster his assist amongst fellow Republicans, portray the varied probes as a politically motivated “witch hunt” and a broad try to “interfere” with the 2024 election. It’s unclear whether or not the voters he seeks to achieve will sympathize along with his portrayal of Carroll’s lawsuit as a pile-on, see it as a rising distraction or ignore it altogether.

His marketing campaign noticed a spike in donations after his indictment, which accuses him of fudging his firm’s information to attempt to conceal funds made to suppress tales about his alleged marital infidelity; he denies the fees and the sexual encounters.

His favorability scores have held regular at 34% amongst U.S. adults general and 68% amongst Republicans, in accordance with a current ballot by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

Beyond its political ramifications, the trial marks a #MeToo milestone, even after carefully watched civil and prison instances in opposition to disgraced film honcho Harvey Weinstein and different highly effective males. The case is also drawing nationwide consideration to a New York regulation that permits for lawsuits over decades-old intercourse crime claims.

The time-frame for pursuing prison expenses over the allegations, which Carroll by no means reported to police, has lengthy since handed. If she prevails within the lawsuit, it might value Trump cash however not his freedom.

A former journal journalist, discuss present host and “Saturday Night Live” author, Carroll was greatest recognized - at the least till her lawsuit - for the eponymous recommendation column she wrote for Elle journal from 1993 by way of 2019.

According to Carroll, she crossed paths with Trump at Bergdorf Goodman someday in 1995 or 1996, when he was an actual property mogul and man about city. Recognizing her as “that advice lady,” he requested her to assist him browse for a ladies’s reward, bantered with Carroll a few bodysuit and steered her to a becoming room, she says. Then, in her telling, he instantly compelled himself on her whereas she tried to push him off.

“That rape changed my life, which is shocking for me to now understand,” she mentioned in a deposition, a authorized time period for pretrial questioning underneath oath.

According to Carroll, she instantly misplaced curiosity in courting and want, then misplaced her job after she advised her story in a 2019 memoir and Trump responded that she was “totally lying.” Elle has mentioned her contract wasn’t renewed for unrelated causes.

Trump says he by no means encountered Carroll at Bergdorf Goodman and had no thought who she was when she publicly accused him. He has asserted that she invented the story to promote her e-book.

“It’s a false accusation. Never happened, never would happen,” he mentioned throughout a caustic 5 1/2-hour deposition, which may be performed for jurors.

In snippets launched so far, he known as Carroll a “nut job,” her lawyer “a disgrace” and the case “a big, fat hoax.” He reiterated his description of Carroll as “not my type” - and misidentified her in a 1987 picture as Marla Maples, his spouse from 1993 to 1999.

Besides Carroll, two Trump accusers who by no means sued are set to testify in Carroll’s case.

Jessica Leeds has mentioned Trump grabbed her breasts and tried to place his hand up her skirt once they have been seatmates on a flight three a long time in the past. People journal author Natasha Stoynoff has mentioned Trump forcibly kissed her in opposition to her will whereas exhibiting her round his Florida dwelling for a 2005 article.

Jurors are also anticipated to listen to the “Access Hollywood” recording.

The Associated Press doesn't determine individuals who say they've been sexually assaulted until they arrive ahead publicly.

The trial will unfold at a federal courthouse a block from the state courtroom the place Trump was arraigned earlier this month on his indictment.

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