Former President Donald Trump sued ABC News and anchor George Stephanopoulos on Monday, arguing that the news host defamed him on-air multiple times.
Trump filed the lawsuit in a federal court in Miami, alleging that Stephanopoulos harmed his reputation after the ABC News host said during an interview with Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) last week that Trump was found liable for raping writer E. Jean Carroll, The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/18/us/politics/trump-lawsuit-abc-stephanopoulos.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. Last year, a jury in a Manhattan civil case found the former president liable for sexually abusing Carroll, not for rape.
“Judges and two separate juries have found him liable for rape and for defaming the victim of that rape. How do you square your endorsement of Donald Trump with the testimony we just saw?&#8221; Stephanopoulos asked Mace during the interview.
In a 20-page <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.flsd.664183/gov.uscourts.flsd.664183.1.0.pdf">complaint</a>, Trump’s attorney Alejandro Brito wrote, “These statements were and remain false, and were made by Defendant Stephanopoulos with actual malice or with a reckless disregard for the truth given that Defendant Stephanopoulos knows that these statements are patently and demonstrably false.”
“Indeed, the jury expressly found that Plaintiff did not commit rape and, as demonstrated below, Defendant George Stephanopoulos was aware of the jury’s finding in this regard yet still falsely stated otherwise,” Brito added, according to <a href="https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/4541257-trump-sues-abc-stephanopoulos-alleging-defamation-mace-interview/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Hill</a>.
Trump has asked for an unspecified amount of damages in the lawsuit.
Mace <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nancy-mace-rips-george-stephanopoulos-over-tense-interview-about-trump-tried-to-shame-me-as-a-rape-victim" target="_blank" rel="noopener">blasted</a> Stephanopoulos during the interview after he grilled her on her support of the former president, referencing that the congresswoman had been a rape victim herself. She insisted the question was “offensive” and “disgusting.” Mace added, “You’re questioning my political choices because I’ve been raped.”
The jury in the civil case found Trump liable for sexually abusing Carroll and defaming her after the writer claimed Trump followed her into a dressing room at the Bergdorf Goodman department store and forcibly digitally penetrated her in the mid-1990s.
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Trump has also attempted to countersue Carroll for continuing to accuse him of rape during appearances on cable news after the jury’s verdict. U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan, however, rejected Trump’s counterclaims, saying that “The difference between Ms. Carroll’s allegedly defamatory statements — that Mr. Trump ‘raped’ her as defined in the New York Penal Law — and the ‘truth’ — that Mr. Trump forcibly digitally penetrated Ms. Carroll — is minimal.”
“Both are felonious sex crimes,” Kaplan added.
The jury later <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/court-fines-trump-83-3-million-over-eight-times-lawsuits-request-in-e-jean-carroll-defamation-case" target="_blank" rel="noopener">awarded</a> Carroll $83.3 million in damages, finding that Trump owed Carroll $11 million to cover the costs of a campaign to repair the harm done to her reputation and $7.3 million to address the emotional harm the 80-year-old writer sustained from remarks Trump made in 2019 about her and her accusations of rape. The jury ordered Trump to pay another $65 million in punitive damages.
“Absolutely ridiculous!” Trump said in a statement following the jury’s verdict. “I fully disagree with both verdicts, and will be appealing this whole Biden Directed Witch Hunt focused on me and the Republican Party. Our Legal System is out of control, and being used as a political weapon. They have taken away all First Amendment Rights. THIS IS NOT AMERICA!”
Tim Pearce contributed to this report.

George Stephanopoulos/Donald Trump

Trump Sues George Stephanopoulos, ABC News After Host Said Former President Was Found ‘Liable For Rape’

Trump Sues George Stephanopoulos, ABC News After Host Said Former President Was Found 'Liable For Rape'

ABC News

Defamation

Donald Trump

E. Jean Carroll

George Stephanopoulos

Lawsuit

Media

Politics

MSNBC Political Analyst Molly Jong-Fast threw a swanky party, packed with liberal media figures, to celebrate writer E. Jean Carroll being awarded a staggering <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/court-fines-trump-83-3-million-over-eight-times-lawsuits-request-in-e-jean-carroll-defamation-case" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$83 million</a> judgment in her defamation case against former President Donald Trump.
Carroll has already turned heads with her behavior, both before and immediately following the trial. Earlier this week, Carroll laughed through an appearance on MSNBC and appeared to joke about a lavish shopping spree and even <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/penthouse-its-yours-e-jean-carroll-quips-about-spending-spree-with-trump-judgment-cash" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a penthouse for host Rachel Maddow</a>.
MSNBC host Lawrence O’Donnell, New York Times opinion writer Lydia Polgreen, The Washington Post&#8217;s Sarah Ellison, former ABC News correspondent Tara Palmeri, and Saturday Night Live producer Marci Klein were some of the media figures in attendance at the party, <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13031161/E-Jean-Carroll-NYC-party-liberal-media-trump-defamation-83m.html">according</a> to the Daily Mail.
Over the weekend, Carroll told ABC’s &#8220;Good Morning America&#8221; that she wants to spend the judgment money on &#8220;something Donald Trump hates.&#8221;
&#8220;If it&#8217;ll cause him pain for me to give money to certain things, that&#8217;s my intent,&#8221; she said, adding that she wants to start a &#8220;fund for the women who have been sexually assaulted by Donald Trump.&#8221;
Conservative journalist and podcast host Megyn Kelly earlier this week took issue with the media&#8217;s positioning on the case from the very start.
“Let’s just entertain for a minute that Trump is the truth-teller, here,” Kelly said, “that Trump actually has no memory of this person, and certainly didn’t sexually assault her, and that she really is some sort of a kook who decided to make up a story about him to get her name in the headlines, to potentially get money from a deep-pocketed guy.”
She continued, “The media has zero appetite for entertaining that possibility.”
Kelly also noted that Trump was never criminally convicted for an assault against Carroll, but a civil jury decided it was more likely than not that Trump assaulted her.
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“[Carroll] couldn’t even remember when it happened,” Kelly added. “She didn’t have a police report; she didn’t have a medical report; she had nothing other than two friends who said, ‘yeah she mentioned it at the time.&#8217;”
Trump has maintained that he never assaulted Carroll and didn’t know her. Throughout the trial, he published social media posts criticizing the writer.
In one instance, he posted a viral video of Carroll speaking to CNN anchor Anderson Cooper about rape being largely viewed as a “fantasy.” Cooper looks visibly uncomfortable during the exchange and cuts to break. “Can you believe I have to defend myself against this woman’s fake story?” Trump captioned the video.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Trump shares the E Jean Carroll clip where she told Anderson Cooper that people &quot;think rape is sexy.&quot; 
Trump: &quot;Can you believe I have to defend myself against this woman&#39;s fake story?!&quot; <a href="https://t.co/6EiRHo64YH">pic.twitter.com/6EiRHo64YH</a>
&mdash; Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) <a href="https://twitter.com/CitizenFreePres/status/1747276335817339108?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 16, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/shes-a-wack-job-whats-he-supposed-to-say-megyn-kelly-unloads-on-media-over-e-jean-carroll-trump-case" target="_blank" rel="noopener">‘She’s A Wack Job! What’s He Supposed To Say?’: Megyn Kelly Unloads On Media Over E. Jean Carroll/Trump Case</a>

E. Jean Carroll departs a Manhattan federal court at the conclusion of her defamation suit against Donald Trump on January 26, 2024 in New York City. A New York jury has awarded Carroll 83.3 million dollars in her civil trial against Trump.

E. Jean Carroll Parties With Liberal Media Pals After Trump Ordered To Pay $83 Million

Lawrence O'Donnell

MSNBC

Journalist and podcast host Megyn Kelly on Monday laid out her issues with the steep <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/court-fines-trump-83-3-million-over-eight-times-lawsuits-request-in-e-jean-carroll-defamation-case" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$83 million fine</a> former President Donald Trump has been ordered to pay in the defamation case of writer <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-back-in-court-for-e-jean-carroll-case-judge-denies-delay-for-trump-to-attend-mother-in-laws-funeral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">E. Jean Carroll</a>, along with the media&#8217;s coverage of the case.
Kelly suggested Carroll might actually be the &#8220;wack job&#8221; Trump says she is and that the former president didn&#8217;t assault her, as Carroll claims. In that case, Trump should be permitted to call her a liar and defend himself.
&#8220;Let&#8217;s just entertain for a minute that Trump is the truth-teller, here,&#8221; Kelly said, &#8220;that Trump actually has no memory of this person, and certainly didn&#8217;t sexually assault her, and that she really is some sort of a kook who decided to make up a story about him to get her name in the headlines, to potentially get money from a deep-pocketed guy.&#8221;
She continued, &#8220;The media has zero appetite for entertaining that possibility.&#8221;
&#8220;She&#8217;s a wack job! What&#8217;s he supposed to say?&#8221; Kelly added, while noting that Carroll is going on mainstream airwaves and bashing Trump without consequence.
Kelly emphasized that Trump was never criminally convicted for an assault against Carroll, but a civil jury decided it was more likely than not that Trump assaulted her.
&#8220;She couldn&#8217;t even remember when it happened,&#8221; Kelly said of the Trump accuser. &#8220;She didn&#8217;t have a police report; she didn&#8217;t have a medical report; she had nothing other than two friends who said, &#8216;yeah she mentioned it at the time.'&#8221;
Kelly also highlighted that the 30-year gap between the alleged assault and the accusation makes it nearly impossible for Trump, or any person for that matter, to defend themselves. In one example, the journalist explained how difficult it would be to place your whereabouts some 30 years after the fact.
Journalist Glenn Greenwald joined Kelly on the episode and lamented the &#8220;weaponization of the judicial system.&#8221;
Some of the judges in the multiple cases against the former president are &#8220;just so unabashedly anti-Trump,&#8221; he said. &#8220;There&#8217;s an attempt to destroy political enemies and one of those weapons is the judicial system.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Megyn Kelly, not Donald Trump’s biggest fan, has major issues with the defamation lawsuit verdict. <a href="https://t.co/WF3JfpcHbk">pic.twitter.com/WF3JfpcHbk</a>
&mdash; Big Fish (@BigFish3000) <a href="https://twitter.com/BigFish3000/status/1752133412914110901?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Trump has maintained that he never assaulted Carroll and didn&#8217;t know her. Throughout the trial, he published social media posts criticizing the writer.
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In one instance, he posted a viral video of Carroll speaking to CNN anchor Anderson Cooper about rape being largely viewed as a “fantasy.” Cooper looks visibly uncomfortable during the exchange and cuts to break. “Can you believe I have to defend myself against this woman’s fake story?” Trump captioned the video.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Trump shares the E Jean Carroll clip where she told Anderson Cooper that people &quot;think rape is sexy.&quot; 
Trump: &quot;Can you believe I have to defend myself against this woman&#39;s fake story?!&quot; <a href="https://t.co/6EiRHo64YH">pic.twitter.com/6EiRHo64YH</a>
&mdash; Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) <a href="https://twitter.com/CitizenFreePres/status/1747276335817339108?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 16, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/court-fines-trump-83-3-million-over-eight-times-lawsuits-request-in-e-jean-carroll-defamation-case" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Court Fines Trump $83.3 Million, Over Eight Times Lawsuit’s Request, In E. Jean Carroll Defamation Case</a>

Key Speakers At Fortune’s Most Powerful Women Conference

‘She’s A Wack Job! What’s He Supposed To Say?’: Megyn Kelly Unloads On Media Over E. Jean Carroll/Trump Case

Megyn Kelly Unloads On Media Over E. Jean Carroll/Trump Case 

Megyn Kelly

E. Jean Carroll unleashed a string of wild boasts, predicting all the things she might do to benefit &#8220;women&#8217;s rights&#8221; with the nearly $84 million judgment that she was awarded in the defamation trial against former President Donald Trump.
Carroll laughed through her recent MSNBC appearance on Monday as she suggested new wardrobes, new shoes, and even a penthouse for host Rachel Maddow — among a number of other lavish gifts and expenditures — all while her attorney, looking increasingly uncomfortable waved her off: &#8220;That&#8217;s a joke.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Rachel Maddow asks E. Jean Carroll what she&#39;s going to do with &quot;Trump&#39;s money&quot; to help &quot;women&#39;s rights.&quot;
Carroll says she and Maddow will &quot;go shopping, get completely new wardrobes, new shoes&#8230;Rachel, what do you want, penthouse?&quot;
Her lawyer nervously says &quot;that&#39;s a joke&quot;: <a href="https://t.co/5LAx5xU5Uy">pic.twitter.com/5LAx5xU5Uy</a>
&mdash; Steve Krakauer (@SteveKrak) <a href="https://twitter.com/SteveKrak/status/1752160799139807536?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Maddow kicked off the exchange by recalling a previous statement from Carroll, in which she had promised to do something with &#8220;Trump&#8217;s money&#8221; to benefit women&#8217;s rights — and then she asked Carroll if she had any firm plans with that regard and to describe what that might look like.
&#8220;Yes, Rachel!&#8221; Carroll replied, clearly excited. &#8220;I have such — I have such great ideas for all the good I&#8217;m going to do with this money.&#8221;
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&#8220;First thing, Rachel, you and I are going to go shopping,&#8221; she continued in exaggerated tones, getting laughs from her attorneys and Maddow. &#8220;We&#8217;re going to get completely new wardrobes, new shoes, motorcycle for [Attorney Shawn] Crowley, new fishing rod for [Attorney Roberta Kaplan] — Rachel, what do you want? Penthouse? It&#8217;s yours!&#8221;
Maddow continued to laugh, and Carroll kept going: &#8220;Penthouse &#8230; France? You want France? You want to go fishing in France? No? Oh, all right.&#8221;
Maddow shook her head, still laughing, and one of Carroll&#8217;s attorneys jumped in quickly to clarify: &#8220;That&#8217;s a joke.&#8221;
&#8220;Although, if me fishing in France could do something for women&#8217;s rights, I would take the hit,&#8221; Maddow replied. &#8220;I&#8217;d take one for the team.&#8221;

‘Penthouse? It’s Yours’: E. Jean Carroll Quips About Spending Spree With Trump Judgment Cash

'Penthouse? It's Yours': E. Jean Carroll Quips About Spending Spree With Trump Judgment Cash

Rachel Maddow

A jury found former President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a> should pay writer E. Jean Carroll $83.3 million in damages in a defamation trial that ended on Friday.
The amount awarded to Carroll is well over three times more than her legal team asked for in its closing argument – $24 million – and more than eight times the amount Carroll requested in her initial lawsuit — $10 million, according to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/trump-trial-e-jean-carroll-01-26-24/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CNN</a>.
The jury found that Trump owed Carroll $11 million to cover the costs of a campaign to repair the harm done to her reputation and $7.3 million to address the emotional harm the 80-year-old writer sustained from remarks Trump made in 2019 about her and her accusations of rape. The jury ordered Trump to pay another $65 million in punitive damages.
Trump promised to appeal the decision in a statement released after the jury’s findings.
“Absolutely ridiculous!” the statement began. “I fully disagree with both verdicts, and will be appealing this whole Biden Directed Witch Hunt focused on me and the Republican Party. Our Legal System is out of control, and being used as a political weapon. They have taken away all First Amendment Rights. THIS IS NOT AMERICA!”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
“THIS IS NOT AMERICA!” <a href="https://t.co/A0uQ9RMcoI">pic.twitter.com/A0uQ9RMcoI</a>
&mdash; Liz Harrington (@realLizUSA) <a href="https://twitter.com/realLizUSA/status/1751002573664907366?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 26, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The jury spent two hours 45 minutes in deliberations after closing arguments wrapped on Friday afternoon. Afterward, the verdict was read aloud to the courtroom. Trump, who attended the trial earlier in the day, was not present to hear the jury’s decision.
U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan thanked the jurors for their work and warned them against going public now that the trial is over.
“My advice to you is that you never disclose that you were on this jury, and I won’t say anything more about it,” he said.
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The decision by the jury caps off an at times chaotic final day in court in which Kaplan <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/courtroom-chaos-judge-threatens-trump-attorney-with-lockup-former-president-storms-out" target="_blank" rel="noopener">threatened</a> to put one of Trump’s attorneys behind bars and in which the former president at one point stormed out of the courtroom as Carroll’s legal team was making its closing argument.
Kaplan threatened to throw Trump attorney Alina Habba in “lockup” after the two got into a heated exchange over allowable evidence in the courtroom.
Ahead of opening arguments in the case, Trump’s legal team motioned that it wanted to show a slide to jurors of materials not admitted into evidence. Carroll’s legal team objected, and the dispute led to an argument between Habba and the judge.
“You are on the verge of spending some time in the lockup,” Kaplan told Habba. “Sit down.”
Habba sat down immediately after.
Later in the trial, Trump abruptly left the courtroom minutes into closing arguments by Carroll’s legal team. Kaplan made a note of the disturbance: “The record will reflect that Mr. Trump just rose and walked out of the courtroom.”

Court Fines Trump $83.3 Million, Over Eight Times Lawsuit’s Request, In E. Jean Carroll Defamation Case

Courts

New York

U.S.

Chaotic scenes livened up proceedings in a New York federal court Friday in which former President Donald Trump faced a defamation case brought by writer E. Jean Carroll.
During the trial, the judge in the case, U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan, threatened to put one of the former president’s attorneys in “lockup.” Later, Trump reportedly stormed out of the courtroom ahead of closing arguments, before later returning.
Just ahead of opening arguments in the case, Kaplan got into a dispute with Trump attorney Alina Habba over a slide that the Trump legal team wished to show to jurors. Carroll’s legal team objected to the slide, saying the contents were not entered into evidence, according to <a href="https://themessenger.com/politics/trump-alina-habba-jail-e-jean-carroll-federal-judge-threat" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Messenger</a>.
Habba argued with Kaplan until he appeared to lose his patience.
“You are on the verge of spending some time in the lockup,” Kaplan told the attorney. “Sit down.”
Habba sat down immediately after, according to the <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/01/25/news/donald-trump-e-jean-carroll-defamation-trial-live-updates-testimony/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York Post</a>.
Later in the trial, Trump “stormed out” of the courtroom minutes into closing arguments by Carroll’s legal team, according to the Post. Trump’s presence is not required in the courtroom for civil proceedings, unlike in a criminal case.
Kaplan made a note of the disturbance: “The record will reflect that Mr. Trump just rose and walked out of the courtroom.”
“Defense counsel are to remain seated,” the judge added.
Trump returned to the courtroom about an hour later in time to watch closing arguments from his own legal team, according to <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-e-jean-carroll-trial-closing-arguments-rcna135756" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NBC News</a>.
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Trump has already been found liable for defamation in the case. Friday’s proceedings are to determine what amount of damages Carroll is owed. The 80-year-old writer has asked for $10 million, but during closing arguments, Carroll’s attorney increased the requested penalty to $24 million. The attorney said Trump deserved to pay Carroll “at least” that much, according to the Post.
Habba delivered closing arguments for Trump’s team, arguing that the case against the former president is misdirected. The case is over online trolls, and Trump should not be held liable for others’ behavior.
“Ladies and gentlemen, this isn&#8217;t about President Trump and E. Jean Carroll, this is about some people in their mother’s basements who will always be mean on social media, you can’t stop that,” Habba said, according to the Post.
The day before the trial, CNN legal expert Nick Ackerman <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nyc-judge-will-have-trump-taken-out-by-marshals-if-he-steps-out-of-line-cnn-legal-expert-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">predicted</a> that Kaplan would have Trump “taken out” if the former president “steps one iota out of line.”
“I think the judge has already got the marshals lined up,” former prosecutor Ackerman said. “If [Trump] steps one iota out of line, he’s going to be taken out by the marshals.”

Courtroom Chaos: Judge Threatens Trump Attorney With ‘Lockup,’ Former President Storms Out

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Former President Donald Trump</a> was back in a New York City courtroom on Tuesday morning, hours after winning the Iowa Republican caucuses, for a case concerning defamation against writer <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-found-liable-for-defamation-in-second-e-jean-carroll-case-judge-rules" target="_blank" rel="noopener">E. Jean Carroll</a>.
A judge in September ruled that Trump is liable for making defamatory remarks about Carroll in 2019, when she first publicly accused him of sexually assaulting her in a Manhattan department store during the mid-1990s. This trial is limited to damages stemming from that ruling; Carroll is seeking at least $10 million.
Notably, Trump&#8217;s legal team has asked U.S. District Court Judge Lewis Kaplan if the trial could be delayed so the former president could attend his mother-in-law Amalija Knavs&#8217; funeral on Thursday. Judge Kaplan said no, and on Tuesday, Trump&#8217;s lawyer Alina Habba asked Kaplan if the trial could continue, but to &#8220;grant an adjournment&#8221; Thursday so Trump could attend the funeral. That, too, was denied.
CNN <a href="https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/trump-defamation-trial-e-jean-carroll-01-16-24/index.html">reported</a> Tuesday that Kaplan said Trump did not have to be present for the entire trial and could testify if he wanted to on a different day and, therefore, doesn&#8217;t need to pause the trial on Thursday.
Trump has been outspoken about Judge Kaplan and Carroll. He posted to his Truth Social account on Tuesday that the judge is biased and has &#8220;absolute hatred&#8221; for him, and said he never &#8220;touched&#8221; Carroll.
&#8220;The only right, honest, and lawful thing that Clinton-appointed Judge Lewis Kaplan, who has so far been unable to see clearly because of his absolute hatred of Donald J. Trump (ME!), can do is to end this unAmerican injustice being done to a President of the United States, who was wrongfully accused by a woman he never met, saw, or touched (a photo line does not count!), and knows absolutely nothing about,&#8221; Trump wrote in a <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/111766162960416516">post</a>.
&#8220;I have been considered an A-List celebrity for many decades, so even decades ago, since no one knows which date or dates to refer to, because the accusing woman can’t say the day, month, season, year, or decade, it would have been impossible for me to walk into a crowded department store (surrounded by buildings I own), right opposite the cashiers’ checkout desk, without being written about on Page Six, and every other outlet at the time,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;Remember, those gossip columnists were, perhaps, even more vicious and obsessed than the Internet of today.&#8221;
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The president also posted a viral video of Carroll speaking to CNN anchor Anderson Cooper about rape being largely viewed as a &#8220;fantasy.&#8221; Cooper looks visibly uncomfortable during the exchange and cuts to break.
&#8220;Can you believe I have to defend myself against this woman&#8217;s fake story?&#8221; Trump captioned the video.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Trump shares the E Jean Carroll clip where she told Anderson Cooper that people &quot;think rape is sexy.&quot; 
Trump: &quot;Can you believe I have to defend myself against this woman&#39;s fake story?!&quot; <a href="https://t.co/6EiRHo64YH">pic.twitter.com/6EiRHo64YH</a>
&mdash; Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) <a href="https://twitter.com/CitizenFreePres/status/1747276335817339108?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 16, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-found-liable-for-defamation-in-second-e-jean-carroll-case-judge-rules" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trump Found Liable For Defamation In Second E. Jean Carroll Case, Judge Rules</a>

Celebrity Sightings In New York City – July 20, 2022

Trump Back In Court For E. Jean Carroll Case; Judge Denies Delay For Trump To Attend Mother-In-Law’s Funeral

New York City

A federal judge ruled on Wednesday that former President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a> is liable for allegedly making defamatory remarks about writer E. Jean Carroll after she first publicly accused him four years ago of sexually assaulting her at a Manhattan department store during the mid-1990s.
U.S. District Court Judge Lewis Kaplan in New York said an upcoming trial scheduled for January 2024 &#8220;shall be limited to the issue of damages only.&#8221;
&#8220;The truth or falsity of Mr. Trump&#8217;s 2019 statements therefore depends — like the truth or falsity of his 2022 statement — on whether Ms. Carroll lied about Mr. Trump sexually assaulting her. The jury&#8217;s finding that she did not therefore is binding in this case and precludes Mr. Trump from contesting the falsity of his 2019 statements,&#8221; Kaplan wrote in a <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.543790/gov.uscourts.nysd.543790.214.0.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">25-page ruling</a>.
Trump lost a legal battle against Carroll earlier this year when a New York federal jury found the former president allegedly committed battery against the former columnist and later defamed her while denying her claim. Trump, who has long denied the allegations against him from Carroll, appealed the jury&#8217;s verdict in which he was ordered to pay $5 million in damages.
Carroll sued Trump last November in New York, the same day a new law opened a one-time, one-year window for adult sexual assault survivors outside the statute of limitations to seek civil damages for sexual battery.
Trump&#8217;s legal team filed the counterclaim in June, which said Carroll &#8220;disregarded the jury&#8217;s finding that Counterclaimant did not rape her,&#8221; as part of a separate defamation lawsuit brought by the writer in 2019 and set to go to trial in January. But Kaplan <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/judge-tosses-trumps-defamation-claim-against-e-jean-carroll" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tossed</a> the counterclaim last month.
Judge Kaplan also denied a bid from Trump&#8217;s attorneys to reduce any more damages awarded to Carroll.
Trump has dismissed his losses to Carroll as &#8220;a Miscarriage of Justice and a total Scam&#8221; on his Truth Social page.
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&#8220;The trial was very unfair, with the other side being able to do and present virtually anything they wanted, and our side being largely and wrongfully shut down by an absolutely hostile, biased, and out of control judge,&#8221; he wrote in July.
Trump attorney Alina Habba reportedly argued that Carroll&#8217;s earlier case would nullify the judge&#8217;s ruling if the appeals court favored the former president&#8217;s claim.
&#8220;We remain very confident that the Carroll II verdict will be overturned on appeal, which will render this decision moot,&#8221; Habba told NBC News in a <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-liable-defamation-second-e-jean-carroll-case-judge-rules-rcna103632" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>. &#8220;We also anticipate that the Second Circuit will stay this trial as it considers the meritorious defenses that have been raised by President Trump.&#8221;
Trump is running a 2024 campaign for a second term in the White House. In addition to civil litigation, he faces multiple indictments at the state and federal levels. The former president broadly denies any wrongdoing, claiming he is the target of a &#8220;witch hunt.&#8221;
Daniel Chaitin contributed to this report.

BC-TRUMP-ACCUSER-NY

Trump Found Liable For Defamation In Second E. Jean Carroll Case, Judge Rules

A federal judge in New York tossed <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a>&#8216;s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-sues-e-jean-carroll-for-defamation">defamation countersuit</a> against writer <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/e-jean-carroll" target="_blank" rel="noopener">E. Jean Carroll</a>, who alleges the former president raped her during the mid-1990s at a Manhattan department store, in a ruling on Monday.
U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan granted Carroll&#8217;s motion to dismiss Trump&#8217;s claim raising issues with Carroll <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/10/politics/e-jean-carroll-donald-trump-cnntv/index.html">saying in a May interview that she thought &#8220;oh yes he did&#8221;</a> after a CNN anchor asked what was going on in her head when the jury that had just found the former president liable for sexual abuse and defamation did not find him liable for rape.
For the purposes of the case at hand, Carroll&#8217;s statements were &#8220;substantially true,&#8221; Kaplan <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.543790/gov.uscourts.nysd.543790.200.0.pdf">wrote</a>, <a href="https://www.courthousenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/carroll-motion-dismiss-trump-counterclaim-southern-district-new-york.pdf">agreeing with an argument</a> made by Carroll&#8217;s legal team. The jury made an &#8220;implicit determination&#8221; that Trump raped Carroll with his fingers with its finding on the &#8220;sexual abuse question,&#8221; added the judge, who noted that New York penal law espouses the narrow view that such a crime is committed with <a href="https://criminaldefense.1800nynylaw.com/new-york-rape-lawyer.html">forcible penetration of the vagina by a penis</a>.
Trump, who has long denied Carroll&#8217;s allegations that he raped her, <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2023/05/11/trump-appeals-verdict-liable-for-sexual-assault-00096568#:~:text=The%20appeal%20was%20widely%20expected,planned%20to%20contest%20the%20verdict.&amp;text=Former%20President%20Donald%20Trump%20is,Jean%20Carroll.">appealed</a> the jury&#8217;s verdict in which he was ordered to pay $5 million in damages. His legal team filed the counterclaim in June, which said Carroll &#8220;disregarded the jury’s finding that Counterclaimant did not rape her,&#8221; as part of a separate <a href="https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/carroll-v.-trump-complaint113-wm.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">defamation lawsuit</a> brought by the writer in 2019 and set to go to trial in January.
“We are pleased that the Court dismissed Donald Trump’s counterclaim,” Carroll’s attorney, Roberta Kaplan, said in a statement <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/07/politics/e-jean-carroll-trump-defamation-lawsuit-dismissed/index.html">reported by CNN</a>. “That means that the January 15th jury trial will be limited to a narrow set of issues and shouldn’t take very long to complete. E. Jean Carroll looks forward to obtaining additional compensatory and punitive damages based on the original defamatory statements Donald Trump made in 2019.”
One of Trump&#8217;s attorneys, Alina Habba, said, “We strongly disagree with the flawed decision and will be filing an appeal shortly.&#8221;
Trump is running a 2024 campaign for a second term in the White House. In addition to civil litigation, he faces multiple indictments on the state and federal levels. The former president broadly denies any wrongdoing, claiming he is the target of a &#8220;witch hunt.&#8221;
In a separate order, as <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-proseutors-new-york-criminal-case-e-jean-carroll-deposition/">reported by CBS News</a> last week, Kaplan ruled that Carroll&#8217;s team can give Trump&#8217;s deposition in their legal battle to Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who is leading the Trump hush-money criminal case related to adult film actress Stormy Daniels.

Judge Tosses Trump’s Defamation Claim Against E. Jean Carroll

Judge Tosses Trump's Defamation Claim Against E. Jean Carroll

A New York judge rejected former President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump’s</a> request to dismiss columnist E. Jean Carroll’s defamation charges against him, only two days after Trump countersued her for defamation.
In a <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.543790/gov.uscourts.nysd.543790.172.0_4.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">46-page opinion</a>, the judge refused to dismiss the case on any of Trump’s four grounds, including “absolute presidential immunity.”
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/e-jean-carroll" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Carroll</a> is suing Trump for declaring in a 2019 <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/450116-trump-vehemently-denies-e-jean-carroll-allegation-shes-not-my-type/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview</a> that she was “totally lying” in her allegation that he raped her in the 1990s.
“I’ll say it with great respect: Number one, she’s not my type. Number two, it never happened. It never happened, okay?” Trump told The Hill.
Last month, a jury found Trump guilty of sexually assaulting Carroll and also found Trump liable for defamation after he further denied Carroll’s claims in an October 2022 Truth Social post where he called Carroll’s claims “<a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/judge-allows-jean-carroll-amend-pending-defamation-lawsuit/story?id=100052469">a hoax and a lie.</a>”
Carroll recently filed a third defamation claim over further remarks Trump made about the incident in a CNN Town Hall in May, while Trump filed a countersuit against Carroll for defamation over a <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/28/politics/trump-e-jean-carroll-defamation/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">comment she made on CNN</a> following the jury verdict claiming that Trump raped her when the jury had only found him liable for sexual assault.
Trump asked for a dismissal of the claims in part because he said he was guaranteed “non-waivable” presidential immunity, given that he made the comments while he was still president: Trump said he made the comments in 2019 because Carroll’s accusations “threatened his ability to effectively govern the nation.”
U.S. District Court Judge Lewis Kaplan concluded that Trump did not sufficiently demonstrate that Carroll’s comments could have harmed his ability to govern.
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“Mr. Trump does not identify any connection between the allegedly defamatory content of his statements – that Ms. Carroll fabricated her sexual assault accusation and did so for financial and personal gain – to any official responsibility of the president,” Kaplan wrote.
Kaplan <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2023/06/29/trump-carroll-defamation-immunity-ruling-00104306" target="_blank" rel="noopener">added</a> that even if presidential immunity did apply, Trump “delayed unduly in raising his presidential immunity” by not invoking it at the time Carroll filed the suit, only raising it three years later.
In the ruling, Kaplan also mentioned another instance in which Trump’s actions as a president did not grant him absolute immunity &#8212; another federal judge, Amit Mehta, wrote that Trump’s January 6 speech to his supporters was not protected on the grounds of presidential immunity.
Carroll’s attorney Roberta Kaplan said the judge’s decision “removes one more impediment” to a January 15 trial.
“Trump chose to waive presidential immunity and now he must live with the results of that decision,” she said.
The judge’s rejection means that the case will likely go to trial, adding it onto the long list of pending cases against Trump, including an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-trump-says-hes-been-indicted-in-federal-documents-investigation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">indictment by the Department of Justice</a> over his alleged mishandling of classified documents.

WARWICK, NEW YORK – JUNE 21, 2019: E. Jean Carroll at her home

Judge Rejects Trump’s Bid To Dismiss Defamation Lawsuit

Judge Rejects Trump's Bid To Dismiss Defamation Lawsuit

Former President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a> is suing writer <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/e-jean-carroll" target="_blank" rel="noopener">E. Jean Carroll</a> for defamation in their protracted legal fight.
Trump&#8217;s lawyers <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.543790/gov.uscourts.nysd.543790.171.0.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">filed a counterclaim</a> on Tuesday in New York federal court, listing various instances over the years when Carroll accused Trump of raping her.
The most recent instance, they note, happened during a TV interview on May 10, one day after a jury in a separate case found Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation but not for rape.
Carroll &#8220;disregarded the jury’s finding that Counterclaimant did not rape her&#8221; and said: &#8220;oh yes he did, oh yes he did,&#8221; the filing states.
Trump, who is running for another stint in the White House, has repeatedly denied Carroll&#8217;s allegations that he raped her during the mid-1990s in a Manhattan department store.
Carroll has filed multiple legal claims against Trump, including the sex-abuse suit in which the jury awarded her $5 million in damages last month. She was able to sue thanks to <a href="https://19thnews.org/2023/05/e-jean-carroll-trump-new-law-justice-assault-survivors/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York enacting a law</a> that gave alleged sexual abuse victims a one-year period to sue their alleged assailants, even if the statute of limitations on their claim had expired.
The new counterclaim from Trump&#8217;s legal team is part of a separate <a href="https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/carroll-v.-trump-complaint113-wm.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">defamation lawsuit</a> filed in 2019 that is set to go to trial in January and seeks at least <a href="https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/e-jean-carroll-can-pursue-10-mln-lawsuit-against-donald-trump-judge-2023-06-13/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$10 million in damages</a>.
The court <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2022/03/11/carroll-trump-lawsuit-rejected/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">previously rejected</a> Trump&#8217;s bid to countersue last year, but the fresh attempt comes after the judge allowed Carroll to amend her <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/13/politics/e-jean-carroll-damages-trump-cnn-town-hall/index.html#:~:text=E.%20Jean%20Carroll%20arrives%20for,2023%2C%20in%20New%20York%20City.&amp;text=A%20federal%20judge%20will%20allow,at%20a%20CNN%20town%20hall." target="_blank" rel="noopener">complaint</a> earlier this month with new comments from Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-brings-rigged-election-fight-to-cnn-town-hall" target="_blank" rel="noopener">denying that he knew Carroll</a> and <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/judge-allows-jean-carroll-amend-pending-defamation-lawsuit/story?id=100052469" target="_blank" rel="noopener">calling her allegations a &#8220;hoax and a lie.&#8221;</a>
In response to Trump&#8217;s latest countersuit bid, Carroll&#8217;s lawyer <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/28/politics/trump-e-jean-carroll-defamation/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Roberta Kaplan said</a> Trump &#8220;again argues, contrary to both logic and fact, that he was exonerated by a jury that found that he sexually abused E. Jean Carroll.&#8221;
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Kaplan also said: &#8220;Trump’s filing is thus nothing more than his latest effort to delay accountability for what a jury has already found to be his defamation of E. Jean Carroll. But whether he likes it or not, that accountability is coming very soon.&#8221;
The counterclaim from Trump&#8217;s legal team seeks various forms of relief, including retractions, damages, and a denial of the relief sought by Carroll.
Trump &#8220;has been the subject of significant harm to his reputation, which, in turn, has yielded an inordinate amount of damages sustained as a result&#8221; of Carroll&#8217;s claims, the filing says.

Trump Sues E. Jean Carroll For Defamation

2024 Election

Rape

Former President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a> responded on Tuesday to E. Jean Carroll&#8217;s move this week asking a federal judge to amend her defamation lawsuit against the former president by asking for an additional $10 million because of comments that he made about her during a CNN town hall event.
&#8220;I don’t know E. Jean Carroll, I never met her or touched her ￼(except on a celebrity line with her African American husband who she disgustingly called the &#8216;Ape,&#8217;), I wouldn’t want to know or touch her, I never abused her or raped her or took her to a dressing room 25 years ago in a crowded department store where the doors are LOCKED, she has no idea when, or did anything else to her, except deny her Fake, Made Up Story, that she wrote in a book,&#8221; Trump posted on social media. &#8220;IT NEVER HAPPENED, IS A TOTAL SCAM, UNFAIR TRIAL!&#8221;
&#8220;The Carroll case is part of the Democrats playbook to tarnish my name and person, much like the now fully debunked Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax, the 51 Intelligence Agents, FBI/Twitter Files, and so much more,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;It is being funded and tried by Democrat operatives, although this was denied by them, and when they got caught in the lie, the Clinton appointed judge would not let us use it in trial. Time will prove him to be highly partisan &amp; very unfair. Where’s the dress she said she had?&#8221;
A federal jury in New York found Trump liable on May 9 of committing battery against Carroll and later defaming her when he vociferously denied her claim that he raped her in a department store dressing room in the 1990s. The defamation lawsuit involved Trump’s comments from a Truth Social post in October 2022, referring to Carroll’s allegations as a “complete con job” and saying that she “is not my type.”
Nine members of a civil trial jury ordered Trump to pay $5 million to Carroll in damages — taking just two and half hours of deliberation to reach the unanimous verdict — two weeks ago.
Attorneys representing Carroll, 79, proposed amendments on Monday to the first of her two defamation lawsuits against Trump, which would hold the former president liable for remarks made at a CNN broadcast on May 10.
“Trump’s defamatory statements post-verdict show the depth of his malice toward Carroll since it is hard to imagine defamatory conduct that could possibly be more motivated by hatred, ill will, or spite,” the lawyers wrote in the complaint. “This conduct supports a very substantial punitive damages award in Carroll’s favor both to punish Trump, to deter him from engaging in further defamation, and to deter others from doing the same.”
During the town hall, the former president called the verdict a “fake story” and denied he knew Carroll.
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“She’s a whack job,” Trump said, adding, “What kind of a woman meets somebody and brings them up, and within minutes you’re playing hanky-panky in a dressing room.”
According to Reuters, attorneys for Carroll said in a letter to U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan on Monday that because “Trump’s alleged defamatory statements were essentially the same, the only open issues are whether he was immune for making the first statement, and if not what damages he owes.”
Attorneys for Trump filed a notice of appeal in New York on May 11, contesting the federal jury’s verdict that found him liable for committing battery and defamation.

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