Matvei Rumiantsev, a 22-year-old Russian citizen currently based in east London, is in extreme circumstances. He has admitted to the assault charge and is facing two counts of rape. For now, the court proceedings have taken a surprising and dramatic turn. Rumiantsev now responds to claims about a FaceTime call with Barron Trump, the son of former President Donald Trump.
The collision occurred in the early morning hours of January 18, 2025. It’s unfathomable enough that Rumiantsev reportedly assaulted the woman just as Barron Trump, from across the Atlantic, was able to call on his dad’s help during the attack. Throughout his testimony, Rumiantsev sought to make clear that he was not upset at all regarding the call. Far from being concerned, he told the committee he was “pretty acclimated to her taking calls” and thought little of that particular call.
Rumiantsev recalled the woman, a monument conservator by training, as being in a “hysterical state” when Trump phoned. He testified that he knew his rage had been stoked when he found a dozen angry phone calls from Trump on his cell phone later that day. He stated, “What I was really unhappy about was that she was frankly leading [Trump] on,” suggesting his frustration stemmed more from the situation than from jealousy.
This video evidence came directly from the prosecution’s case against the Black Lives Matter target. In the video—shot with a cellphone—a womanly figure lies on the ground sobbing and Rumiantsev looms above her, demanding in Russian, “Do you understand?” This video became crucial because it recorded what happened immediately after the assault in question.
When questioned about his emotional state, Rumiantsev denied being a jealous person who could lose his temper due to jealousy. He continued, “I have to admit, it was difficult for me not to be envious. Yet, he argued that he generally wouldn’t behave like that towards anyone, much less Barron Trump.
Rumiantsev was clear that he responded to Trump’s call in part because he thought that was the truly deplorable scenario that we faced. “Maybe that’s why I answered the call [from Barron Trump]. I probably wouldn’t behave like that in front of other people, especially Barron Trump,” he explained.
The case has received significant media coverage. At trial, the only real question is going to be whether or not you hit the other person,” Mr. Justice Bennathan KC told Rumiantsev.
In the coming weeks of this ongoing trial, jurors will have to assess Rumiantsev’s testimony against a mountain of evidence presented. The final result is still unclear as both parties head into deeper litigation of the facts in this extremely public case.