Donald Trump to use sexual abuse verdict as a fundraising opportunity for 2024 presidential campaign

Donald Trump plans to use his sexual abuse verdict as a fundraising opportunity for his 2024 presidential campaign.

The 76-year-old politician was found liable by a civil jury for sexually abusing — but not raping — writer E Jean Carroll in a New York City department store in the 1990s earlier this week but is planning to turn the scandal to his advantage for a key showdown against Republican rival Ron DeSantis in Iowa on Saturday (May 13).

Trump was ordered to pay US$5 million (S$6.6 million) in damages and was found to have defamed Carroll by calling her a "con job" but the controversial billionaire's supporters say he plans to continue his verbal barrage towards the former Elle magazine columnist and his advisers are planning to fundraise from the lawsuit.

One Iowa Republican explained that the sexual assault verdict could actually work in the former president's favour as it appears that the Democratic Party is trying to destroy him.

The source said: "Anything that's been thrown at Trump is lumped into a larger effort [by Democrats] to hit Trump in the eyes of Republican voters.

"It's like a bad Ben Stiller movie: I'm gonna break up my best friend and his girlfriend, but then they just get closer together. And it's so terrible."

Trump labelled Carroll as a "wack job" earlier this week as he poured scorn on the guilty verdict against him.

He told CNN: "What kind of a woman meets somebody and brings them up and within minutes, you're playing hanky panky in a dressing room?"

The former Apprentice star also suggested that the trial won't have any impact on his political ambitions.

Asked if the verdict would deter women from voting for him, he replied: "No, I don't think so."

ALSO READ: Trump appeals sexual abuse verdict, $6.6m award in Carroll civil case