# Judge Lets E. Jean Carroll’s Defamation Suit Against Trump Move Forward, Because Apparently We’re Doing This Again
Look, I don’t know about you, but I woke up this morning, checked my phone, and thought “okay, cool, what fresh hell is this?” And lo and behold, a federal judge decided that E. Jean Carroll’s defamation lawsuit against Donald Trump can proceed. Yes, the same lawsuit from the woman who accused him of raping her in a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room in the 1990s. The same Trump who said she wasn’t his “type” (because of course that’s a defense) and that she was making it all up for book sales.
So here we are again, America. Strap in, because this is going to be a bumpy ride through the legal equivalent of a clown car that never stops producing more clowns.
Let’s break this down for anyone who’s been living under a rock or just trying to preserve their last shred of sanity.
**The Backstory, Because We All Need a Refresher**
E. Jean Carroll is a longtime advice columnist for *Elle* magazine. In 2019, she published a memoir called *What Do We Need Men For? A Modest Proposal*, in which she alleged that Trump raped her in a dressing room at Bergdorf Goodman sometime in the mid-1990s. According to her account, they ran into each other at the store, he asked her to help him pick out a gift for “a girl,” and then things went from “oh, that’s weird” to “oh, that’s a crime” really fucking fast.
Trump, being Trump, denied everything. He said he never met her, which is rich considering there’s literally a photograph of them together at a party in 1987. He also said she wasn’t his “type,” which is a weird flex when you’re trying to prove you *didn’t* assault someone. Like, “I wouldn’t assault *her* because she’s not hot enough” is not the defense you think it is, buddy.
Carroll initially filed a defamation lawsuit against Trump in 2019 after he called her a liar and claimed she was making it up to sell books. That case has been tied up in appeals for years, because the legal system moves slower than a DMV line on a Tuesday afternoon. Meanwhile, Trump was busy being president, getting impeached twice, losing an election, and allegedly taking classified documents to Mar-a-Lago like they were souvenirs from a business trip.
**The Latest Development: Judge Kaplan Says “Nah, We’re Doing This”**
On July 19, 2023, Judge Lewis A. Kaplan of the Southern District of New York ruled that the defamation case can move forward. Specifically, he rejected Trump’s argument that he was immune from the lawsuit because he was acting in his official capacity as president when he made the allegedly defamatory statements.
Let’s sit with that for a second. Trump’s legal team tried to argue that denying a rape allegation is a presidential duty. I’m not making this up. They literally claimed that when Trump called Carroll a liar on the White House lawn, he was performing his official duties as Commander-in-Chief. Because nothing says “protecting the nation” like gaslighting a woman about a sexual assault she says happened in a department store.
Judge Kaplan, to his credit, saw through this nonsense faster than a TikTok influencer spotting a free PR opportunity. He ruled that Trump’s statements were personal attacks, not official acts of governance. Shocking, I know. The man who once said he could shoot someone on Fifth Avenue and not lose voters was apparently not acting in his official capacity when he called a woman ugly and crazy. Who would’ve guessed?
**The Real Tea: What This Actually Means**
So what does this ruling mean for the case? Basically, we’re going to trial. Carroll’s defamation lawsuit will move forward, and Trump will have to answer for his statements in a court of law. This is separate from the other lawsuit Carroll filed against Trump in 2022 under New York’s Adult Survivors Act, which allowed her to sue him for battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress. That case is also pending, and it’s scheduled for trial in April 2024.
Yes, you read that right. Trump might have to sit in a courtroom and defend himself against allegations of sexual assault and defamation while simultaneously running for president again. Because why not add a little legal drama to the 2024 election cycle? We’ve already got the classified documents case, the hush money case, the Georgia election interference case, and now this. The man has more legal battles than a Marvel Cinematic Universe crossover event.
**The Internet Reacts, Because Of Course It Does**
As you might imagine, the news of Judge Kaplan’s ruling sent social media into a frenzy. Twitter (or X, or whatever Elon Musk is calling it this week) was flooded with reactions ranging from “Finally, justice!” to “This is a witch hunt” to “Can we please talk about something else for five minutes?”
Carroll’s lawyer, Roberta Kaplan (no relation to the judge), released a statement saying they’re ready to go to trial. Trump’s lawyer, Alina Habba, said they’ll continue to fight the case and that Trump “looks forward to his day in court.” Which is a bold statement from a guy who has spent the last several years trying to avoid any day in court like it’s a dentist appointment.
The AITA subreddit, as always, had a field day. One user posted, “AITA for hoping this case finally gets Trump to face consequences for something?” The top comment read: “NTA. But let’s be real, consequences are like unicorns. We’ve heard about them, but nobody’s actually seen one.”
**Why This Matters Beyond the Drama**
Okay, let’s pause the sarcasm for a second and get real. This case is important not just because it involves a former president, but because it speaks to how we treat survivors of sexual assault. E.
Final Thoughts
Having covered my share of courtroom dramas and power imbalances, what strikes me most about the E. Jean Carroll saga is how it dismantles the myth that justice is swift or clean for survivors. It took years of legal trench warfare, a defamation verdict, and a sitting president being held financially accountable for his words before the truth was validated in a way the system could recognize. Ultimately, this case wasn't just about one woman’s story—it was a brutal, necessary proof that in America, even a former president can be forced to answer for the everyday cruelty of calling a victim a liar.