In the mid-1990s, E. Jean Carroll accused Trump of sexually assaulting her in a New York dressing room. The former journalist is now suing Trump for remarks he made while rejecting the charges, including declaring in interviews, and subsequently again via his Truth Social account, that she is “not my type. Carroll is suing the former president for the battery as well.
As agreed upon by Trump’s and Carroll’s attorneys, the two defamation claims will be consolidated into a single trial. The trial is set to start on April 25th. Of course, Trump could already be imprisoned in the Stormy Daniels Hush money case that the Manhattan District Attorney is preparing against him, and it could also come in the midst of Trump’s campaign for a second term in the White House if he continues with it after his expected arrest in the Stormy Daniels case.
Carroll filed a lawsuit in 2022 after Trump labeled the rape accusation a “hoax,” “lie,” “con job,” and “total fraud” on Twitter. The second case also includes a battery claim under New York’s Adult Survivors Act, which allows victims of sexual assault to sue their assailants even if the statutes of limitations have expired.
A federal appeals court in Washington, D.C. is weighing whether Trump should be immune from Carroll’s first complaint but not her second because he was acting as president when he spoke. A decision, in that case, is unlikely until the defamation complaint is resolved.