Trump Risks Another Defamation Lawsuit with New E. Jean Carroll Attacks

There are claims that Donald Trump may face another defamation lawsuit following his recent comments about writer E. Jean Carroll during an interview.

In the interview, the former president asserted that he had “never met” Carroll, who had previously won a lawsuit against him for sexual battery and defamation. Trump also labeled Carroll’s assault allegations as “fictional.”

In May 2023, a New York jury found Trump liable for sexually abusing Carroll at a Bergdorf Goodman store in the 1990s and defaming her by denying the incident. The jury awarded Carroll $5 million in damages. Carroll had successfully sued Trump for defamation after he accused her of fabricating the assault to sell her book. On January 26, another New York jury awarded Carroll $83.3 million in compensatory and punitive damages.

Trump recently reiterated his denial of the assault and criticized the civil and criminal cases against him in New York, including a jury’s finding of 34 felony charges of falsifying business records related to the hush money trial. “This is a terrible thing that’s happening. Giving a woman that I have no idea…no idea, other than the fact that she had a picture taken many, many years ago, I’ve never met this woman,” Trump said.

“I don’t know this woman and I’m supposed to pay a ridiculous amount of money for a fictional story.” In response, Carroll’s attorney Roberta Kaplan suggested that filing a new lawsuit against Trump is still an option. This comment followed Trump’s claim on Truth Social that he had “never met” Carroll except for a “quick handshake at a celebrity event, 25 years ago.”

Several social media users believe Trump could be sued again for his remarks about Carroll. Lawyer Don Lewis posted on X (formerly Twitter), “E. Jean Carroll is going to sue Trump again. And get even more in damages. Book it!”

Animator and former newspaper illustrator Geoff Valent wrote, “And just like that, Trump talked his way into another defamation lawsuit from Carroll.”

Reporter Johnathan Ford added, “Donald Trump already found liable of sexual assault against E. Jean Carroll and found liable of defamation. During an interview, he defamed E. Jean Carroll again. This after a jury of nine unanimously found him liable.”