I believe the jury in the E. Jean Carroll lawsuit did not find that Trump had raped her, but had defamed her by calling her a whackjob. It was probably a compromise verdict. A majority of the jurors did not believe that he raped her, but a couple of them either feared retaliation or wanted to “get” Trump, so they settled for defamation, but not rape.
If you fabricate and publish a ridiculous rape allegation against the president of the United States, that is, in my opinion, prima facie evidence that you are, you know, a whackjob.
I do not know that it would have helped Trump to keep his mouth shut. The jury was afraid, and had to give the mob a crumb, so they gave them defamation. Absent the defamation option they might have “found” that he raped her out of fear of retaliation.
You’re right. He was found guilty of calling an ugly woman ugly.