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Today, Like Every Day, Trump May Or May Not Show Up
He’s supposed to tell the judge if he wants to come to his rape trial
I don’t often write about open questions whose factual resolutions are about to be reported in the news. There’s little need for me to repeat the question (a journalist will get the answer when it’s available), and, as soon as the fact is reported, my article would become obsolete.
But I want to say something about E. Jean Carroll’s civil lawsuit against Donald Trump.
What the Trial Is About
If you haven’t been following Carroll’s litigation:
Carroll says that Trump raped her in late 1995 or early 1996 in a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room in New York City. She published her allegation in New York magazine in June 2019.
Trump, who was then president, put out an official government statement not only denying the allegations but accusing Carroll of telling her story to make money off her book. He also suggested that Carroll might be conspiring with the Democratic Party to make him look bad, and he asked the public to send him tips that could confirm this.
Because Trump put out this statement, Carroll sued him for defamation in November 2019. The U.S. Department of Justice defended Trump on the basis that he can say whatever he likes in an official government statement, i.e., that the office of the president amounts to a legal shield.
Trump was required to give testimony in October 2022. In this videotaped deposition, he said Carroll was “not my type” and then told Carroll’s lawyer (also a woman): “You would not be my choice of mine either…I hope you’re not insulted.” Then, shown a 1987 photograph of himself socializing with Carroll, he misidentified Carroll as his ex-wife.
In November 2022, Carroll expanded her defamation claim (a case known as Carroll I) to include the assault itself (known as Carroll II). Even though the allegation is rape, the legal case remains a civil suit, not a criminal charge.
Because it’s a civil suit, neither Carroll as plaintiff nor Trump as defendant was required to attend the trial in New York City. In early April 2023, the judge asked them to give at…
