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I told him he was hurting me, and I tried to push him off. He pinned me to the floor and would not stop. Knowing that in this isolated place he could hurt me much worse than he already was, or even kill me if he wanted to, I stopped fighting, hoping it would soon be over. I left in a stunned state, torn and bloody, feeling small and dirty. My sense of self-worth and safety, my ability to protect myself, in which I'd formerly believed, was entirely shattered. I didn't tell anyone for decades. And I never screamed.

Patricia Arneson, Wayzata

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Grabbing and groping is not nothing ("Trump found liable for sexual abuse," May 10). That is one of the takeaways of Tuesday's verdict. And hopefully the point taken will also be that one human cannot assume what another human "wants" and cannot assume, "You liked it." And one human is not the decider for another of what the other wants, wanted, likes or liked.

Diane Adair, St. Louis Park

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The front-page headline "Trump found liable for sexual abuse" is accurate. The sub headline, "Rape claim rejected, but jury still awards $5M to accuser," is, in part, not accurate. The jury was not called upon to find, and did not find, that there was sufficient evidence to "reject" the rape claim. Rather, the jury found that the plaintiff, E. Jean Carroll, did not prove her rape claim by a preponderance of the evidence. This is not a finding that a rape did not occur, only that Carroll failed to meet her preponderance-of-the-evidence burden of proof.

Alan Galbraith, Edina

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After a jury of six men and three women unanimously found Donald Trump liable for $5 million for sexually abusing and then defaming E. Jean Carroll, the former president unleashed a social media post in ALL CAPS. I found myself agreeing with the first two shouts, but then I came to my senses in his final scream.

The Trump tirade began: "I have no idea who this woman is." Of course he doesn't. How can we expect him to remember all the women he has assaulted? He admitted under oath in this case that he is a star and "when you're a star, they let you do it. You can do anything ... Grab 'em by [their genitals]. You can do anything."

And he really doesn't know who Carroll is because, again under oath, in a photo he mistakenly identified Carroll as his then-wife Marla Maples. He apparently also has "no idea who this woman" Maples is.

Trump continued in all caps: "This verdict is a disgrace." Yes, it is a disgrace for the former president to have engaged in such disgraceful conduct.

Trump lost me in his crescendo finish, whining that this is "a continuation of the greatest witch hunt of all time!" The perpetrator of the sexual abuse is trying to portray himself as the victim?

And he is lying that this is "the greatest witch hunt of all time." Those who lost trials in the witch hunts of Trier and Salem were often burned at the stake or hanged. Somehow, a purported billionaire buying his way out with money just doesn't seem to be much of a witch hunt.

This witch hunt lie was not on the verdict form for the Carroll jurors to answer, but they did unanimously find "clear and convincing evidence" that "Mr. Trump's statement was false" regarding Carroll and that "Mr. Trump made the statement with actual malice."

The jury has unanimously found Trump is a malicious liar and sexual abuser. I would put it in all caps if it weren't so sad.

Brad Engdahl, Golden Valley

2024 RACE

Age itself doesn't disqualify, but ...

Regarding the May 6 letter to the editor "Biden can do it again," I believe we need to move away from the age argument. We all know people who have aged differently in their physical appearance and with their mental capacity. The letter writer gave several examples of individuals still being successful in their later years. President Joe Biden is not one of those individuals.

The mainstream media and late-night talk show hosts typically take great delight in making fun of any of the sitting presidents. President Biden has been given a free pass on this treatment. Most of his time in front of people is very well choreographed with plenty of helping hands to guide him from the podium and up or down steps. He typically reads from a teleprompter and sometimes knows the questions and answers in advance when faced with reporters. When he goes off script it usually does not go well for him.

Some of this could be attributed to his well-documented speech issues as an adolescent. However, it is very apparent to me that he struggles with both thinking and speaking without well-documented notes. His ability to even recall events from his own past is questionable. Being president of the United States is probably one of the most, if not the most, demanding job in the world. We need someone in office who has their full capacity for thought and speech. By no means am I advocating for the left or the right; I am the messenger merely stating the obvious. I don't have an issue with his age. I have an issue with his cognitive ability.

Tim Rubash, Apple Valley

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It appears we are approaching a rematch in the presidential election, and after reading the column from D.J. Tice ("Rematches have been good, bad and ugly," May 7), I have noticed how we seem to conflate the two candidates as equally incapable of serving our country in the role of president. I thought I would outline a few of the criteria for each that makes us question their ability.

Donald Trump: is old. Was impeached twice. Attempted to end our democracy on Jan. 6, 2021. Had shady enough business dealings to warrant an indictment. Bragged about sexually assaulting women. Made several racist comments. Lies. Lied. Continued to lie. (Pick a topic for these three, but start with the election he lost.)

Joe Biden: is old.

Maybe we need to step back in aligning both of these two in the same breath as equally incapable? Just a thought.

Paul Standal, St. Paul

CNN TOWN HALL

Excruciation starts now

On every question in the CNN town hall, the moderator and Donald Trump quoted wildly different sets of facts to back up their claims. How is the average viewer supposed to make sense of things?

Daniel Patrick Moynihan said: "Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but not their own facts."

Sorry, Moynihan, but you're wrong. Today, everyone is entitled to both. This is what social media has brought us.

It's going to be a rough 18 months for "truth, justice and the American Way."

Harry Kelley, St. Louis Park

BASEBALL

The math works out

I agree wholeheartedly with Jim Souhan that Major League Baseball has become much more watchable with the introduction of the pitcher's/batter's clocks ("It's about time: Pitch clock makes MLB watchable," May 9). The speed of play is enjoyable, and the resultant shortening of game time is remarkable. Extending Souhan's reported time data throughout the entirety of the current season, and using the estimated 2023 MLB payroll average ($4.9 million per player), the MLB player's wage will have increased by around $1,771 per hour over the previous year. A tidy sum, and no players' strike needed! I'm sure the league has made sure that the advertising times will realize no reductions.

Cal Lueck, Danube, Minn.