At a Wednesday CNN town hall, former President Donald Trump had his first major appearance since he was found liable for the sexual abuse of writer E. Jean Carroll earlier this week. During it, he opted to take the same approach he’s always taken to allegations of sexual misconduct: denying it and mocking the accuser.
“I have no idea who the hell she is,” he said, referring to Carroll as a “whack job.” The comments were notable given Trump was found not just liable for sexual abuse, but defamation as well. His willingness to continue smearing Carroll despite that defamation verdict echoes how he’s treated women, and how he’s approached legal issues both during and after his presidency. It’s also a reminder that, if elected president, Trump will continue to act as though the law does not apply to him, regardless of the political or policy consequences of that approach.
The dangers of Trump’s disregard for the law were on display elsewhere in the town hall as well. In addition to his statements about Carroll, Trump suggested he’d undermine the legal system if reelected by committing to pardoning January 6 insurrectionists. He also continued his assault on democracy by repeating false claims about election fraud and emphasizing that Vice President Mike Pence should have done more to overturn the 2020 election results. Broadly, the event gave him a forum to continue peddling lies in front of a relatively friendly audience, and to minimize any legal consequences he and his followers have faced.
Much of the rhetoric was unsurprising coming from Trump and a continuation of stances he’s long embraced. His words, however, were striking for demonstrating how little the maelstrom of state and federal investigations, in addition to the Carroll verdict, have affected his outlook, despite jurors in multiple cases now affirming concerns about his behavior. These statements directly speak to how he’d serve in a second term: as a president who…
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