Trump’s attorney requests mistrial in rape, defamation case
PBS NewsHourDec 24, 2022
The Facts
On Monday, Manhattan federal Judge Lewis Kaplan denied a motion submitted by former Pres. Donald Trump's attorney Joe Tacopina to declare a mistrial in columnist E. Jean Carroll's civil rape case against his client.
Tacopina had requested a mistrial earlier in the day, accusing Kaplan of making "pervasive unfair and prejudicial rulings" against Trump by skewing evidence in Carroll's favor.
The Spin
Democratic narrative
Trump's lawyers have been trying to undermine Carroll's credibility before the jury but to no avail. Sadly, even if the civil jury concludes that she is truthfully accusing the former president of rape, it's very likely that die-hard Trumpists will argue the case was long rigged against him. Lost in their own narrative and echo chamber, Republicans may not even care whether they have a rapist as their presidential candidate.
Republican narrative
While it's debatable whether Trump should be considered a role model, this lawsuit is undeniably politically motivated. It has only reached a courtroom because New York changed its statute of limitations last year. The main problem concerning this accusation isn't that Carroll failed to speak out at the time — or even when Trump first ran for president — but rather that her account of the incident is inconsistent and unsubstantiated.
Metaculus Prediction
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