President Trump denounced the “disgraceful” cases against him and “rigged judges” in a press appearance at Trump Tower in Manhattan on Friday — following his appearance in court where his lawyers were appealing a jury verdict that found the Republican nominee liable for sexually assaulting the author E. Jean Carroll at the Bergdorf Goodman department store some time in the 1990s, and then defaming her after she made her allegations while he was president. 

“It’s an appeal of a ridiculous verdict, of a woman I have never met, I don’t know, I have no idea who she is,” Trump said at the noon press event. “She wrote a book, and she made a ridiculous story up.” 

A jury in May 2023 ordered Trump to pay $5 million to Ms. Carroll, as the Sun reported at the time, marking the first verdict of its kind against an American president. Trump has maintained his innocence and called the verdict a “disgrace,” while Ms. Carroll’s legal counsel argued the case was part of what they contended was a familiar pattern of sexual abuse and harassment from Trump towards women. 

Trump’s lawyers are fighting to overturn that verdict, and both Trump and Ms. Carroll appeared before a three-judge Second Court of Appeals panel for oral arguments on Friday. 

A separate jury in January ordered Trump to pay $83.3 to Ms. Carroll for defamation, after he called her “a total con job,” and he is appealing that decision separately. 

Trump repeatedly stated that he has never met Ms. Carroll and that she would not be his “chosen” type. 

“I never met her. I never touched her. I would have had no interest in meeting her in any way, shape or form,” he said. “It didn’t happen, and she would not have been the chosen one.”

He also reiterated that the legal cases against him are “rigged” and that he is being targeted unfairly by the justice system as he seeks to win the White House again this fall. He singled out Judge Lewis Kaplan, who presides over the Carroll cases, as a very “angry” person and noted he was appointed by President Clinton.

“This is a disgraceful case and disgraceful, in particular, because it’s about a former president of the United States, who is now leading in the polls to be the president again,” he said, referring to the polling expert Nate Silver who’s analysis has put Trump in the lead. “I call it the Department of Injustice, because they’re using the Department of Justice to rig the campaign. These cases are disgraceful, they’re brought, for the most part, in front of very hostile areas where Republicans get 3 or 4 percent. like downtown Manhattan, in front of very hostile judges.” 

Trump received only 12 percent of the vote in Manhattan in the 2020 election.

He told reporters to put themselves in his “position,” which he describes as “running for president, and I have all these cases, all of a sudden, come out.” He said all of the cases against him are “political interference” and part of a “witch hunt” that will intimidate people and poll workers from holding a fair election. 

“Our country is in serious trouble. Our judicial system is in very serious trouble,” he said. 

While criticizing the justice system overall, Trump offered praise for Judge Aileen Cannon, of the Southern District court of Florida, who threw out Special Counsel Jack Smith’s classified documents case on the grounds that Mr. Smith was unconstitutionally appointed. The Justice Department is appealing that ruling.

“Frankly, I don’t know the judge in Florida, Judge Cannon, don’t know her at all,” he said. “But, I think she’s a brilliant woman.” 

Trump appeared to criticize his attorneys despite being surrounded by them at the news conference. 

“Legal talent can’t overcome rigged judges, They can’t overcome a 4% Republican area, and I’m disappointed in my legal talent,” he said, while noting that they were “good” and “talented people.”

Following Trump’s remarks, one of his attorneys, Will Scharf, discussed the appeal of Ms. Carroll’s case.

“Now it’s really important to remember that E. Jean Carroll’s story at its heart is an unplausible ‘he said, she said’ story, there is no corroboration for anything she has ever claimed about President Trump,” he said. “There are no corroborating witnesses, as President Trump alluded to, there is not confirmatory DNA, no police report was filed at the time of this alleged incident,she was unable to identify when this incident occurred, until quite recently, no surveillance evidence or witnesses have ever been found or come forward,” to confirm her story, he added.

He said the persecution of Trump by the left is “insane,” an “abuse of the rule of law,” and “deeply offensive.” 

The Sun has reached out to the firm representing Ms. Carroll for comment.