Trump sex abuse accuser E. Jean Carroll to testify in defamation trial over former president’s verbal attacks
PBS NewsHourJan 12
Carroll Testifies in Defamation Trial Against Trump
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The Facts
On Wednesday, former Elle magazine advice columnist E. Jean Carroll took the stand in a federal courtroom in Lower Manhattan in her $10M defamation suit against Republican former US Pres. Donald Trump.
Carroll testified that when Trump in 2019 made two statements accusing her of lying about claims he assaulted her in the 1990s, he "shattered" her reputation.
The Spin
Anti-Trump narrative
Trump does a lot of grousing about the alleged fraudulent nature of this case, but he continues to prove Carroll's point with his attacks on her. Even as he sat in the courtroom, Trump's social media was slandering her and accusing her of lying. Continuing to go after someone who's suing you for defamation isn't the best strategy to convince a jury you're right.
Pro-Trump narrative
Trump has to do all he can to call out the witch hunt that's trying to bring him down before he can win reelection to the White House. This case is rigged against him, with a Democrat-nominated judge and a plaintiff who's being financially backed by Democratic activists and a Democratic megadonor who has vowed to do everything he can to take down Trump.
