former President Donald Trump spent# Th e trial that started today will decide# how much he owes writer E. Jean Carroll## for defaming her while he was president.# Mr. Trump was already found liable for## sexually abusing Carroll in the 1990s# and then lying about her years later.

William Brangham was in the courtroom,# and joins us now from New York.

So, William, tell us what# transpired in court today.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: Geoff,# today was jury selection.

So,## 50 potential jurors were# winnowed down to nine jurors.

And then Judge Lewis Kaplan gave# instructions to those jurors today.## And he was as crystal clear about what# this case is really all about.

He this is not a do-over of that previous# case.

This is not a chance for Trump to## get another bite at the apple, as he put# it.

He was very, very clear to the jury.

He said that Donald Trump sexually assaulted E.# Jean Carroll back in the '90s and that -- very## briefly, but very graphically, he described what# happened in that dressing room.

He said then Trump## defamed her when she came forward to say that# this had happened.

He said she lied about it,## that he had never met her, and that# she made this up to make money.

And the judge said that Trump knew that those# things were false when he said them.

So that's## not what this case is about.

The judge said this# case is about, what is E. Jean Carroll owed for## that defamation?

And the striking thing about# watching today's proceedings unfold is that, in## the previous times that we have seen Donald Trump# in court, it is always Donald Trump against some## governmental prosecutor, a special counsel, an# attorney general of a state, a district attorney.

Here, it was Donald Trump against this one woman# who he violently sexually assaulted almost 30## years ago.

And just seeing them in court, I# mean, it's possible that this is the first time## that they have been in the same room together# since that assault almost three decades ago.

And I watched E. Jean Carroll very closely for the## four hours that they were together in# the room.

And only once di one slight sideways glance at him.# And that was the extent of it today.

GEOFF BENNETT: William, what is Ms. Carroll## seeking from Donald Tr WILLIAM BRANGHAM: She's asking for $10# million for compensatory and punitive## damages.

She has already received $5# million from the previous case for the## assault and for some defamation from Donald# Trump from 2022 statements that he made.

These are about statements he made while he was# president.

And E. Jean Carroll's lawyer referred## to this as Donald Trump using the world's# biggest megaphone to say that she was a liar,## to say that she made all of these things up.# And they're arguing that they want that money## to basically salvage her ruined reputation, for# the emotional distress that she has suffered.

They argue that Donald Trump's statements# about her has unleashed this torrent of vile## tweets.

She showed many of them, threats and# statements about how she should be assaulted## again by millions of Trump's followers.

And# they argue that they need to make him pay## in order to force him to stop, because# the former president has not stopped.

I mean, just today alone, he# has posted 30 different posts## or reposts about E. Jean Carroll.

Trump's# defense to all of this is that to argue## reputational damage from what the president,# then-president said is ludicrous.

They argue,## and Trump's lawyer today said this, that E. Jean# Carroll has thrived since she told this story.

She's been on talk shows and doing interviews# and is planning a documentary series,## and that to try to blame two statements that the## then president made for unleashing# all of t bad trolls on the Internet is inappropriate and# they're trying to punish him for no good reason.

GEOFF BENNETT: And, William, we know that Donald# Trump did not show up in court for the first## trial, when a jury found him liable for sexual# abuse and defamation.

Why WILLIAM BRANGHAM: Geoff,# it's a very good question.

It's legally hard to understand why guilty on all of these major counts, and didn't# come back when he could have potentially made a## difference in that case.

And I think this,# as many have noted, that this is -- all of## these cases that Trump is involved with have# just become part of his political campaign.

I think he is hoping to create this# montage of videos of him entering## courtrooms all over New York and Florida and# Washington, D.C., and Georgia to try to say,## this is the deep state coming# after me and interfering with me.

In fact, tonight, about an hour ago, he# posted a post on TRUTH Social sa I would have preferred to have been in# New Hampshire, but I had to be in this## court with a Trump-hating judge# on another political witch-hunt.

So, again, I think, legally, the# case is hard to make.

Politically,## I think that's what the former# president is doing here.

GEOFF BENNETT: William Brangham# in New York City for us toni William, thank you.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: My pleasure, Geoff.