Donald Trump sexually abused journalist, court concludes as ex-President ordered to pay staggering sum ​

The jury, which was made up of six men and three women, reached a unanimous verdict after deliberating for just three hours and awarded around $5million in compensatory and punitive damages to E Jean Carroll.

Trump was not found liable of the damning rape allegation brought against him by the 79-year-old writer.

The ex-Commander-in-Chief responded to the verdict on his social media platform Truth Social.

Trump said: "I have absolutely no idea who this woman is.

"This verdict is a disgrace - a continuation of the greatest witch hunt of all time."

The property-tycoon-turned-politician previously categorically denied allegations during a cable news interview, saying: "She's not my type."

Trump faces no criminal consequences following the verdict as the allegations brought against him were done so at a civil court.

Carroll, who first made the allegations in a memoir released in 2019, claimed Trump raped her in a Bergdorf Goodman department store dressing room in New York in 1995 or 1996.

She also testified that the former President damaged her reputation by writing her claims were a "complete con job", a "hoax" and a "lie".

Carroll left the courtroom and smiled as she got into a car with her lawyers.

She also told reporters: "We're very happy."

Republican firebrand Kari Lake, 53, who stood as the Grand Old Party's gubernatorial candidate in Arizona last November, described the verdict as a part of a "constant witch hunt".

Speaking to Jacob Rees-Mogg on GB News, Lake said: "Our legal system is a mess right now.

"Obviously, you can look at what they've done to President Trump.

"You've got the DOJ going after him, you've got the DA in New York City going after him.

"They don't even go after murderers in some cases in New York but they are going after President Trump."

Lake, who lost to Democrat Katie Hobbs by around 17,000 votes, is a close ally of the 45th President and has even been tipped to serve as his 2024 running-mate.

Ex-Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage also said: "Anybody sitting on a jury, in an even-handed way, would ask: Where is the evidence and why did it take her 23 years to report it?"

Trump has recently faced several other legal challenges which could derail his dreams of becoming just the second US President to serve two non-consecutive terms in the Oval Office.

Trump was indicted in March by Manhattan's grand jury for allegedly paying porn star Stormy Daniels $130,000 in hush money to cover up an affair between the pair before the 2016 US Presidential Election.

The 45th President is facing other investigations over a series of issues, including alleged election tampering in Georgia, his involvement in the January 6 riots, classified documents recovered by the FBI at his Mar-a-Lago home and accusations of fraud from New York Attorney General Letitia James.

Despite the financial and legal consequences of the jury's verdict, it remains to be seen whether Trump's electoral chances will be impacted.

Real Clear Politics currently gives the former President a one-point average lead over his White House successor Joe Biden if the pair win their respective primary contests ahead of 2024.

Trump is also leading Republican rival Ron DeSantis by around 30 per cent in GOP primary polling.

The former President's victory over Hillary Clinton in 2016 was not derailed by the release of Access Hollywood recordings which revealed Trump described grabbing women by the "p***y" in 2005.

Despite losing the popular vote by around three million ballots, Trump went on to defeat Clinton after winning the key swing states of Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin.

An ally to the US President suggested Trump was being punished after launching his third successive White House bid.

Pastor Mark Burns, who was among the first figures to support Trump's 2016 campaign, told GB News: "We should always listen to any potential sex crime victim that believes they have been violated.

"But, in the case of Donald Trump, this is once again the justice system being used as a political weapon to attack the leading Republican candidate for President of the United States.

"It's hard to believe that this alleged incident from the 1990s has any real merit.

"In this case, Donald Trump is only guilty of running for President of the United States."

But a GOP strategist added: "I never count him out but things are piling up."