How did Trump defame E Jean Carroll? Verdict explored as former president ordered to pay $83.3M in defamation case

A federal jury has ordered former president Donald Trump to pay $83.3M in damages to columnist E Jean Carroll for defamatory statements on Friday, January 26, 2024. The civil case stemmed from a statement Trump made in 2019 after the writer said he r*ped her in a NYC department store back in the 1990s.

In a statement to CNBC, Carroll praised the judgement and said,

"This is a great victory for every woman who stands up when she’s been knocked down and a huge defeat for every bully who has tried to keep a woman down."

Back in 2019, the columnist shared an excerpt from her then-forthcoming book What Do We Need Men For? A Modest Proposal in the New York magazine that accused Trump of s*xual assault. She alleged that the incident took place in the changing room of the Bergdorf Goodman department store in New York in 1996.

In response, then-president Donald Trump, denied her claims, calling her a "liar" and a "whack job." He went so far as to state he never met E Jean Carroll and that she was a dishonest political sleuth. She would then go on to file 2 defamation lawsuits over the comments he made in 2019 and 2022 respectively, arguing his remarks ruined her reputation and subjected her to death and r*pe threats.

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Trump is ordered to pay E Jean Carroll $18.3M in compensatory damages and $65M in punitive damages

While E Jean Carroll filed two lawsuits, in the first trial that was resolved in May 2023, the jury found Trump liable for defamation and assault. He was ordered to pay $5M in compensation, BBC reported.

Before the second trial began, the judge had ruled that Carroll was telling the truth and the former president's comments were defamatory. Thus during the second trial, the jury was tasked with deciding what damages she was entitled to receive.

Before the verdict was announced both sides presented their closing statements. Trump's attorney Alina Habba was threatened with jail time by Judge Kaplan for continuing to speak even after he asked her to be quiet. Following this Trump left the court and was not present to hear the verdict.

However, he took to Truth Social, a social media platform, to disagree with both rulings calling it "Absolutely ridiculous!" He called it a "Biden-directed witch hunt" and added:

"Our Legal System is out of control, and being used as a Political Weapon. They have taken away all First Amendment Rights. THIS IS NOT AMERICA!"

The troubled businessman was ordered to pay E Jean Carroll $18.3M in compensatory damages and $65M in punitive damages. These include $7.3M for emotional harm and $11M for repairing her reputation.

Carol Tobias, a law professor at the University of Richmond told BBC Trump's lack of respect for the judge, jurors, and the opposite counsel proved to strengthen E Jean Carroll's case.

During the trial, the former president complained to his lawyers about a "witch hunt" and a "con job" well within the earshot of jurors, prompting the judge to threaten to eject him from the court. In response, Trump said, "I would love it."

Trump is the first president to be charged with a crime.