Trump Faces Potential Third Lawsuit from E. Jean Carroll

Donald Trump’s legal issues have become almost weekly fodder for the American media. Between the four criminal trials that are currently moving forward in four different jurisdictions and the constant civil suits that Trump has been battling over the past decades, there is constant source for conversation and attention on the former President.

The Case From E. Jean Carroll

One of the more public cases that has been ongoing against Trump is the civil case that has been taking place in New York, between Trump and author E. Jean Carroll. The case centers on an accusation that Carroll made against Trump, addressing an interaction between the pair in the 90’s.

The accusation, quite simply, is that in either 1995 or 1996, an interaction between Trump and Carroll resulted in Trump sexually assaulting Carroll. She came out with the accusation in 2019, making public the experience at a time when many women were discussing their interactions with the former president.

Trump Dismissal

Trump, in his typical manner, immediately dismissed the accusations. He claimed that they were politically motivated, and in the same breath, he claimed that he had never met E. Jean Carroll. At the time, he was still in office as President, and appearances were deeply important, especially ahead of his reelection campaign in 2020.

His comments did not go unnoticed, though. Between comments on Twitter and public statements that he made regarding the case, Trump made his bed, and late in 2019, Carroll sued the former President for defamation regarding the comments that he made about her.

A Second Lawsuit

The case was delayed and stretched out past the 2020 election. Trump’s legal team tried to claim, multiple times, that the comments that Trump had made about Carroll were made in the scope of his job as president, but it was ultimately decided that the office of President did not protect the statements that Trump had made about Carroll.

In the fall of 2022, Carroll followed up her initial case with a second suit, suing Trump for battery under the Adult Survivors Act. She renewed her claims of defamation in this second lawsuit, and the dual suits set to go to trial in the spring of 2023.

The First Trial, Second Lawsuit

The second lawsuit went to trial first, going to trial in front of a jury panel in April of 2023. The trial lasted for a little less than 2 weeks, and ultimately, the jury decided in Carroll’s favor, that Trump had sexually abused her and defamed her.

Trump appealed the ruling, though the appeal ultimately was dismissed. He was ordered to pay a little over $5 million to Carroll in damages, though he appealed the amount and was ultimately dismissed on that matter as well.

The Second Trial, First Lawsuit

The second trial took place in January of this year, and it was a much more contentious trial than the first. Trump’s legal team were criticized by the judge for inappropriate legal strategies multiple times over the course of the trial, and Trump continued to post about the trial on his social platform, Truth Social, despite advice from his lawyers.

Trump was, again, found liable for defamation in the second suit. The jury deliberated for less than three hours before finding Trump liable, and he was ultimately ordered to pay more than $83 million to E. Jean Carroll in this second lawsuit. This brought his total damages owed to Carroll to nearly $90 million, which Trump has appealed.

Trump Holding His Tongue…Kind Of

For a little while after the second judgment came down against Trump, he kept quiet about the case. He focused on his campaign, on other trials that have been progressing against him in other states. It appears, though, that the former President’s restraint regarding the judgment has officially run out.

In a campaign rally that Trump recently held in Georgia, he attacked Carroll yet again. He claimed that he didn’t know her, period, and claimed that the verdict against him were based on “false accusations” that were made about him.

“Democrat Operatives” At Fault

Trump continued, blaming “Democrat operatives” for the case against him. He claimed that her legal team were all part of this “operative” team, which was likely a reference to Reid Hoffman, the billionaire co-founder of LinkedIn who funded Carroll’s prosecution of Trump.

He also took some shots against Judge Lewis Kaplan, who oversaw the defamation case. He called Kaplan a “disaster” and went on to reiterate his innocence in the case. This type of rhetoric has often been a winner with Trump’s base in the past, but in this case, it may have opened him up for yet another defamation suit from Carroll.

Potential Substance for Another Lawsuit

Claiming that he never knew her was one of the reasons that Carroll sued Trump for defamation in the first place. She’s been awarded more than $90 million that Trump had to pay in a bond earlier this month, and she might not be done.

In an interview with Rachel Maddow, Carroll’s legal team stated that she would be “more than willing” to sue Trump for defamation again, should another case come up. The comments that Trump has made in the weeks since at both rally’s and on Truth Social could very well provide the fodder for another defamation lawsuit if the former president isn’t careful.

A Third Suit on the Horizon

Trump has run afoul of the law for multiple reasons in his 70+ years on Earth. The legal challenges between him and E. Jean Carroll are merely the latest in his ongoing judgments, and it’s likely that the former president is going to have to pay out, big time.

Whether he’ll listen to his legal team when they tell him not to provoke Carroll again in the future remains to be seen. It’s unlikely, given Trump’s history of doing exactly what he wants, regardless of the consequences. The public will be watching his actions and her response closely in the coming months, looking for the potential of a third Carroll legal suit.