Donald Trump threw caution to the winds and trashed the judge who oversaw the E. Jean Carroll sexual assault and civil defamation case in a Truth Social post as part of his Memorial Day message on Monday. Roberta Kaplan, who represented Carroll in the case, reportedly said in a statement that they were weighing the options before them.
Trump’s Rant: Lewis Kaplan, Senior U.S. district judge of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, presided over the lawsuit, which alleged that Trump sexually abused the author in a Manhattan department store in the 1990s and the jury found him guilty.
After Trump defamed Carroll, Lewis Kaplan awarded the latter $83.3 million in damages in January, although the former president has appealed the judgment.
A separate jury had in 2023 awarded Carroll $5 million after finding him responsible for sexually abusing her and then defaming her by saying that she made it up.
Commenting on these verdicts, Trump said, “TWO separate trials awarded a woman, who I never met before(a quick handshake at a celebrity event, 25 years ago, doesn't count!), 91 MILLION DOLLARS for "DEFAMATION.”
Deja Vu For Trump: Reacting to Trump’s outbursts, Roberta Kaplan said, “We have said several times since the last jury verdict in January that all options were on the table. And that remains true today—all options are on the table,” CNBC reported.
Carroll’s attorney previously said her party could consider another defamation lawsuit after Trump took potshots yet again at her in a CNBC interview in mid-March.
Following the interview, Roberta Kaplan said, “The statute of limitations for defamation in most jurisdictions is between one and three years……As we said after the last jury verdict, we continue to monitor every statement that Donald Trump makes about our client, E. Jean Carroll.”
The development comes even as a criminal case Trump faces in New York reaches a critical juncture. After the jury in the New York hush-money criminal case heard from witnesses and examined exhibits over the past few weeks, both prosecution and defense lawyers are set to deliver their closing arguments on Tuesday. Following this, jurors will begin their deliberations before pronouncing their verdict.
A guilty verdict could have ramifications for Trump’s re-election bid in what is believed to be a closely contested election.
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