A federal judge has found former President Donald Trump liable for defaming writer E. Jean Carroll after he claimed she was a liar following allegations that he raped her in the 1990s.
Judge Lewis Kaplan’s decision means that an upcoming civil trial in the case will simply determine how much Trump owes Carroll in damages, rather than focusing on his liability. It’s the second time Trump has been found liable for defamation after a jury came to the same conclusion earlier this year. Kaplan concluded that since that jury found Trump liable for sexually abusing Carroll, the question of whether his claims about her fabricating the incident constituted defamation had been settled, negating the need for another trial on the matter.
It’s a big civil legal loss for Trump, and comes as he faces four criminal indictments, as well as several other civil lawsuits, including ones alleging business fraud and that he led a pyramid scheme.
In the short term, Trump’s loss in his case with Carroll will probably have little effect, other than on his finances. Thus far, his popularity among Republican primary voters has only grown as his legal issues have worsened. But should he become the GOP’s presidential nominee, the Carroll decision — and his other legal baggage — could limit the support he gets from swing voters while energizing the Democratic voters opposed to his mistreatment of women.
More broadly, Trump’s many lawsuits are a distraction that could affect his ability to campaign, and some have been a drain on resources: his political action committee, for example, is almost broke due, in part, to many of the legal fees it’s had to cover.
As his legal issues pile up, they will continue to have an effect on his bottom line, give his Democratic opponents plenty of material for attack ads, and could put a limit on the backing he sees in the general election.
How these lawsuits could hurt Trump
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