The New York Post on Friday scrubbed its report on writer E. Jean Carroll’s 25-year-old sexual assault allegation against President Donald Trump at the order of its former editor-in-chief, according to a report.
The story, written by reporter Joe Tacopino, was removed from the Post’s website — allegedly at the behest of Col Allan, who currently serves as an adviser to the tabloid newspaper, CNN reports, citing unnamed sources. Allan is said to be a supporter of President Trump and an enforcer for 21st Century Fox founder Rupert Murdoch. The wire version of the story by the Associated Press was also reportedly deleted from the Post’s website.
Neither the Post nor Allan have commented publicly on the matter.
Carroll has claimed in a story published in New York magazine that a friendly encounter with President Trump at Bergdorf Goodman in 1995 or 1996 turned violent when the real estate mogul pushed her up against a dressing room wall, unzipped his pants, and forced himself on her. Carroll claimed that, in a “colossal struggle,” she pushed him off and ran from the store. The allegation against the president is included in Carroll’s upcoming book about the “hideous men” the Elle magazine columnist said she has encountered throughout her life.
The White House denied the allegation from Carroll, issuing a statement to New York magazine: “This is a completely false and unrealistic story surfacing 25 years after allegedly taking place and was created simply to make the president look bad.”
In a separate statement, President Trump shot down the allegation, stating that he has never met Carrol.
“I’ve never met this person in my life,” President Trump told reporters. “She is trying to sell a new book — that should indicate her motivation. It should be sold in the fiction section.”
“It’s just as bad for people to believe it, particularly when there is zero evidence,” the president added. “Worse still for a dying publication to try to prop itself up by peddling fake news—it’s an epidemic.”
“If anyone has information that the Democratic Party is working with Ms. Carroll or New York Magazine, please notify us as soon as possible,” he concluded. “The world should know what’s really going on. It is a disgrace and people should pay dearly for such false accusations.”
President Trump told The Hill on Monday that Carroll is “totally lying” about the accusation. “I know nothing about this woman. I know nothing about her,” he said. “She is — it’s just a terrible thing that people can make statements like that.”
Meanwhile, Carroll’s Monday evening interview on CNN went viral after she rejected being a “victim” and described rape as “sexy,” prompting a stunned Anderson Cooper to quickly jump to a commercial break.
“Sexual violence is in every country in every strata of society, and I just feel that so many women are undergoing sexual violence,” Carroll told Cooper. “Mine was short. I got out. I’m happy now. I’m moving on. And I think of all the women who are enduring constant sexual violence. So this one incident, this one, what, three minutes in this little dressing room, I just say it’s a fight. That way I’m not the victim, right? I’m not the victim.”
Asked if she views herself as a victim, the writer replied: “I was not thrown on the ground and ravished, which the word rape carries so many sexual connotations,” she said. “This was not sexual. It just – it hurt.”
“I think most people think of rape as a violent assault,” Cooper replied, appearing somewhat surprised by Carroll’s remarks.
“I think most people think of rape as being sexy – think of the fantasies,” she said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.