Carroll Testifies in Defamation Trial Against Trump
On Wednesday, former Elle magazine advice columnist E. Jean Carroll took the stand in a federal courtroom in Lower Manhattan in her $10M defamation suit against Republican former US Pres. Donald Trump....
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Facts
- On Wednesday, former Elle magazine advice columnist E. Jean Carroll took the stand in a federal courtroom in Lower Manhattan in her $10M defamation suit against Republican former US Pres. Donald Trump.1
- Carroll testified that when Trump in 2019 made two statements accusing her of lying about claims he assaulted her in the 1990s, he 'shattered' her reputation.1
- Carroll, who made her initial accusation of rape in 2019, was awarded $5M in combined damages for sexual abuse and a 2022 defamation incident after a jury ruled in a May 2023 trial. This trial will determine what, if anything, Trump must pay on top of the earlier judgment.2
- Judge Lewis A. Kaplan warned Trump that he would revoke his right to be present following comments the former president made during Carroll's testimony.3
- Previously, Trump on Tuesday made several posts about the case to Truth Social, calling the accusations 'fabricated lies and political shenanigans' and an 'attempted extortion.'4
- Trump is currently the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination after leading in the polls for months and winning the Iowa caucuses earlier this week.5
Sources: 1New York Times, 2USA Today, 3Associated Press, 4Independent and 5Washington Post.
Narratives
- Anti-Trump narrative, as provided by MSNBC. Trump does a lot of grousing about the alleged fraudulent nature of this case, but he continues to prove Carroll's point with his attacks on her. Even as he sat in the courtroom, Trump's social media was slandering her and accusing her of lying. Continuing to go after someone who's suing you for defamation isn't the best strategy to convince a jury you're right.
- Pro-Trump narrative, as provided by Breitbart. Trump has to do all he can to call out the witch hunt that's trying to bring him down before he can win reelection to the White House. This case is rigged against him, with a Democrat-nominated judge and a plaintiff who's being financially backed by Democratic activists and a Democratic megadonor who has vowed to do everything he can to take down Trump.
