Former President Donald Trump has decided not to testify in the ongoing defamation lawsuit filed against him by writer E. Jean Carroll. Carroll has accused Trump of raping her in a Bergdorf Goodman department store dressing room in the mid-1990s, a claim that the former president has denied.
Carroll filed the lawsuit in November 2019, after Trump publicly denied her allegation, calling her a liar and claiming he had never even met her. Carroll then sued Trump for defamation, arguing that his comments had damaged her reputation and career.
Trump’s lawyers had sought to dismiss the case, arguing that Trump was immune from lawsuits arising from his official duties as president. However, in October 2020, a federal judge rejected that argument, allowing the case to proceed.
Since then, Carroll’s lawyers have sought to depose Trump and collect DNA evidence to support her claim. However, Trump has fought back against these efforts, arguing that he enjoys absolute immunity from civil lawsuits related to his official duties as president.
In March 2021, the Justice Department, then under the Biden administration, declined to defend Trump in the lawsuit, arguing that his comments were not made in the scope of his official duties. This decision was a significant blow to Trump’s legal defense, as it meant that he would have to defend himself in court, rather than relying on government lawyers to do so.
Despite this setback, Trump’s lawyers continued to argue that he was immune from the lawsuit and that Carroll’s claims were baseless. However, in April 2021, a federal judge rejected Trump’s bid to dismiss the case, paving the way for a potential trial.
In early May 2021, Carroll’s lawyers filed a motion seeking to compel Trump to testify under oath in the case. Trump’s lawyers immediately pushed back against this request, arguing that it was unnecessary and would violate Trump’s constitutional rights.
Ultimately, on May 6, 2021, Trump’s lawyers announced that he would not testify in the case, citing his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.
With closing arguments scheduled for Monday, it remains to be seen whether Carroll will be able to prove her allegations against Trump in court. But her attorneys have delivered on a strong case, and Trump may have incriminated himself in his wild deposition.
Stay tuned to see how the closing arguments go and what the final decision of the jury will be.
