Lawsuits

Carroll Seeks New Damages After Trump Town Hall

MAY 23 2023·Updated AUG 27

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Image credit: Wikimedia Commons

The Facts

On Monday, writer E. Jean Carroll filed an amendment to her 2019 defamation lawsuit against former Pres. Donald Trump, seeking a further $10M in damages over comments he made during a CNN televised town hall on May 10.
CNBC
Earlier this month, a day before the town hall, a New York jury awarded Carroll $5M in her 2022 suit when it found that Trump sexually abused her in a department store changing room in the 1990s.
CNBC
During his appearance on CNN, Trump, who is running for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, called Carroll a “wack job” he hadn't met and described her allegations of the incident from the 1990s as “hanky-panky.”
The Age
The new filing also refers to posts published by Trump’s account on his social media site Truth Social after the verdict was announced.
BBC News
Carroll’s lawyers said Trump’s comments highlighted the “depth of his malice” and should lead to “a very substantial punitive damages award.” The former president is currently appealing this month’s court decision.
SaltWire
On Truth Social, Trump responded to Carroll’s new request, denying her allegations and describing the entire event as a “total scam.”
Rolling Stone

Sources Split

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The Spin

Pro-Trump narrative

Carroll is merely out for another pound of flesh while flippantly projecting her crusade as a vindication of all women who have experienced sexual assault. If this were really the case, the focus would turn to Biden, who faces similar accusations from a former Democratic aide in 1993 but has yet to face repercussions for them.

The Western Journal

Anti-Trump narrative

Trump’s legal problems keep piling up. Not only did the former president appear virtually in court this week on 34 potential felonies, but his continued defamation of Carroll has landed him into further hot water. Unsurprisingly, Trump has reacted to the matter by defaming Carroll even further, which could lead to more financial damages.