Donald Trump’s youngest son said he was “very close” to an alleged rape victim after raising the alarm about a suspected assault against her, a court has heard.
Barron Trump was on a FaceTime video call a year ago with the woman, who cannot be named, when he saw a man repeatedly punch her, Snaresbrook crown court was told on Wednesday.
Matvei Rumiantsev, 22, is on trial on charges including assault and two counts of rape against the alleged victim, who jurors have heard is friends with the US president’s son.
Rumiantsev, who denies the charges, told the court he got upset when he accused the woman of calling Trump “sweetheart” but denied he was in a controlling relationship with her.
A transcript of an emergency call released by the Crown Prosecution Service on Thursday shows Trump telling the operator that he met the alleged victim on social media.
“She’s getting beat up,” Trump said.
Asked by the operator whether he had seen the alleged assault on social media, Trump said: “No, no … a video call.”
On Thursday the court heard that in a later email to Metropolitan police officers investigating the allegations, Trump relayed what the alleged victim had told him. He wrote: “I was told by the victim, who I am very close with, that this individual was giving her difficulty for a long time.”
Describing what he witnessed on the video call, he said it was “very brief indeed but indeed prevalent”, the court heard.
Trump said he video-called the woman in the early hours of 18 January last year, after previously suggesting to the emergency operator that she had called him.
“I didn’t expect her to pick up due to the time difference,” Trump said in his email to police, the court heard.
It added: “The phone was picked up. The individual who answered was a shirtless man with darkish hair. This view lasted maybe one second … then the view flipped to the victim.”
As well as raising the alarm, Trump said he also asked two friends in the US to call the police, the court heard.
Rumiantsev, who wore a blue suit and white shirt in the dock, denies assault, actual bodily harm, two counts of rape, intentional strangulation and perverting the course of justice by putting pressure on the woman to withdraw her complaints.
Rumiantsev was asked about an incident on 3 November 2024 when the woman called the police alleging that the defendant had broken her air fryer. According to a video recorded by a police officer on a body-worn camera, she told officers Rumiantsev was jealous and “controlling of who I can be friends with,” the court heard.
Sasha Wass, KC for the defence, asked what the woman meant. Rumiantsev replied: “That was a reference to her relationship with Barron Trump.”
He added: “I was never controlling”.
The defendant confirmed they had discussed Trump that evening. He told the court: “She raised it. She just started showing me her conversations with him.”
He added: “I tried to explain to her that I felt upset by her talking to Barron Trump.” He told the court that the woman was texting Trump during their argument.
Returning home after the row, Rumiantsev sent text messages to the woman, the court heard. He confirmed that one message could be translated as: “You started calling him sweetheart, I felt so unwell.” He added: “I was referring to Barron Trump.
In the transcript of the call to the emergency operator on 18 January 2025 in which he alleged an assault, Trump said: “This was happening about eight minutes ago. I just figured out how to call someone … it’s really an emergency.”
In the call Trump appeared to be frustrated by questions about how he knew the alleged victim. He said: “I mean these details don’t matter, she’s getting beat up.”
He was then asked by the operator: “I need to take information from you so how have you come by this information?”
He said: “Uh I got a call from her with a guy beating her up.”
The operator said: “How do you know her?”
Trump replied: “I don’t think these details matter, she’s getting beat up but OK fine, also I met her on social media, I don’t think that matters.”
The operator said: “Can you stop being rude and actually answer my questions. If you want to help the person, you’ll answer my questions clearly and precisely.”
After saying he did not know the name of the man allegedly carrying out the assault, Trump said: “Sorry for being rude.”
The trial continues.
