Trump Appeals Civil Verdict
Attorneys for former US Pres. Donald Trump on Thursday filed an appeal of Tuesday’s jury verdict that found him liable for sexually abusing and defaming writer E. Jean Carroll.
Facts
- Attorneys for former US Pres. Donald Trump on Thursday filed an appeal of Tuesday’s jury verdict that found him liable for sexually abusing and defaming writer E. Jean Carroll.1
- Also Thursday, Carroll said she might file another lawsuit against Trump because of comments he made on Wednesday during a nationally televised town hall on CNN, which saw him call her a “whack job.”2
- During his CNN appearance, the former president also mentioned that the case's judge wouldn't allow his lawyers to enter several pieces of evidence.3
- Trump’s appeal comes days after a nine-person jury found that it was more likely than not that Trump sexually abused Carroll in 1996, stopping short of calling it rape. The jury also found that Trump defamed Carroll in an October social media post.4
- Although Carroll testified during the trial, Trump didn’t attend. The jury awarded her $5M.5
- This appeal and the threat of another civil suit come as Trump currently sits atop the field for the Republican presidential nomination in the 2024 race with more than 50% support in national polls.6
Sources: 1The Hill, 2USA Today, 3Breitbart, 4Al Jazeera, 5Independent, and 6BBC News.
Narratives
- Pro-Trump narrative, as provided by Daily Caller. Trump is right to appeal the result of this trial that was run by a Democrat-appointed, politically biased judge who denied his team’s right to present crucial evidence. Trump doesn’t even know Carroll, who seemingly made up this story and filed a suit to slander his reputation ahead of the upcoming election.
- Democratic narrative, as provided by Washington Post. This is a Hail Mary by Trump’s representatives aimed at stalling long enough to find a technicality to change the outcome of this trial. Nearly a dozen witnesses testified on Carroll’s behalf, and it took less than three hours for the jury to make up its mind. Trump has fumbled his way through this defamation saga for years, and his lies — and sins — have finally caught up to him and are here to stay.
Predictions
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