Will the liable verdict sway any of the former president’s voters (Picture: Reuters)
Donald Trump’s sex abuse verdict will make some Republicans want to ‘vote for him twice’, it has been said.
The former US president was found liable for sexually abusing magazine columnist E Jean Carroll in a clothes shop dressing room in the mid-1990s.
Carroll then claimed Trump defamed her by calling the case a ‘hoax and a lie’ and a ‘complete con job’.
She was awarded $5 million in damages by a Manhattan Federal Court, but since the findings are civil instead of criminal, he faces no jail time.
More than a dozen women have accused Trump of sexual misconduct, but Carroll’s case is the first to have succeeded in court.
Despite this, Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign team stated ‘this case will be appealed, and we will ultimately win’.
It also appears the verdict will have little affect on his presidential bid.
Dr Thomas Gift, director of US politics at University College London, said US voters have already made up their mind whether they like Trump or not, and it will take a lot to sway their decision.
E Jean Carroll accused Trump of sexually abusing her and defaming her (Picture: Stephanie Keith/Getty Images)
‘Voters either believe him and think this is another example of a partisan vendetta, or they dislike him and this continues to feed into a broader narrative regarding inappropriate behaviour,’ he said.
‘People already knew he was like this as well from the “grab ’em by the p****” remark.’
Dr Gift said the response from other Republicans has been somewhat ‘muted’, with only a few coming out saying the GOP need to move on from Trump.
A number of women have accused Trump of sexual misconduct (Picture: PA)
Meanwhile, others have gone all in to defend the former president, showing ‘the state the party is in right now’.
Senator for Alabama Tommy Tuberville went so far as to say: ‘The verdict makes me want to vote for Trump twice.
‘They’re going to do anything they can to keep him from winning.’
The case is just one of many against Trump, meaning it will become ‘lost in the fog’ when it’s time for voters to choose their preferred candidate, Dr Gift said.
Voters have ‘already decided’ whether they ‘believe’ Trump or not (Picture: Reuters)
He added: ‘With Trump there is just so much going on at any one time, so a case which could be devastating for one politician, has minimal affect on him and gets lost in the haze.
‘I think this is just going to fade into the backdrop, and attention will begin to turn towards other court cases, such as the ones regarding campaign finance.
‘He is such a unique figure, and all of this would be devastating if it was any other politician.’
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The verdict will not likely change the mind of Trump supporters.