On Friday, a New York jury ordered former President Donald Trump to pay E. Jean Carroll a total of $83.3 million for damaging her credibility as an advice columnist. This comes after she accused him of sexual assault and he called her a liar, leading to the jury awarding Carroll $65 million in punitive damages, $11 million for reputational harm, and an additional $7.3 million. Trump is expected to challenge the verdict, but given Judge Lewis Kaplan's pre-trial ruling that Trump had indeed defamed Carroll, the outcome was not surprising. The jury's sole task was to determine the amount owed to Carroll, not whether Trump was liable.
Trump has been ordered to pay Carroll for the second time; he was previously mandated by a jury to pay $5 million for a separate defamation case last year. In response, the Trump 2024 campaign released a statement alleging, without evidence, that the trial is a "political weapon."
"This is absolutely ridiculous!" the statement exclaimed. "I strongly disagree with both verdicts, and will appeal this entire Biden-directed witch hunt targeting me and the Republican Party."
The jury's decision was made shortly after Trump's victory in the New Hampshire primary, solidifying his position as the GOP front-runner. This case is one of several involving Trump, who also awaits a verdict in a civil trial that could result in him paying at least $250 million to New York state for his business practices.
About the case
In 2019, Carroll, an advice columnist and freelance writer, accused Trump of sexually assaulting her in the 1990s. She detailed this accusation in her book, which was first previewed in an article in New York magazine. Following the article's publication, Trump issued two responses to reporters, including one in which he flatly denied her claim, stating she was "not my type."
Carroll subsequently filed a defamation lawsuit against Trump. She contended that his comments damaged her standing as a trustworthy media source and led to a deluge of insults, threats, emails, and comments on her social media accounts. However, Trump's Attorney General, Bill Barr, blocked the lawsuit at the time, asserting that Trump's remarks were made in his official capacity as president.
Trump reaffirmed his stance that Carroll is dishonest
During his testimony, he affirmed that he "100%" stood by his previous deposition. When asked by his lawyer if he had ever directed anyone to harm Carroll, Trump denied doing so, stating that he only sought to protect himself, his family, and his presidency.
In addition to testifying, Trump was in attendance for multiple days of the trial and was outspoken about the case outside the courtroom.
On the first day of testimony, Judge Kaplan admonished Trump for making comments while Carroll was on the stand. Carroll's legal team noted twice that they could hear him, and the jury might have been able to hear as well.
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