'Pure fiction!' Trump whines about having to fight second E. Jean Carroll lawsuit

Fresh off his decisive victory in the Iowa caucuses on Monday night, former President Donald Trump took to his Truth Social platform Tuesday to rage about having to fight E. Jean Carroll's second defamation lawsuit against him when he would rather be campaigning in New Hampshire.

The former president arrived at the Manhattan courthouse early in the morning to sit through jury selection. Opening statements are expected Monday afternoon.

"After a historic win in Iowa, I am going to the Biden encouraged Witch Hunt in Lower Manhattan to fight against a FAKE Case from a woman I have never met, seen, or touched (Celebrity Lines don’t count!)" wrote Trump.

"Naturally, it starts right after Iowa, and during the very important New Hampshire Primary where, despite their sinister attempts, I will be tonight!"

"It is a giant Election Interference Scam, pushed and financed by political operatives," Trump added. "I had no idea who this woman was. PURE FICTION!"

Carroll, a writer and advice columnist, accused Trump of raping her in a New York City department store in the late 1990s. The former president denied all allegations, claiming that he had no idea who Carroll was and that she was lying to advance her career. Carroll responded with a lawsuit, which ended with a jury last year finding Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation and charging him $5 million in damages and reparations. Trump is currently appealing that.

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Carroll had earlier sued Trump for defamation — but at that time was unable to sue for sexual assault claims because of a statute of limitations. That statute was lifted temporarily in 2022, allowing the second lawsuit to be filed.

It is the first defamation case that's being tried this month. It will not relitigate the claim of sexual abuse, as Judge Lewis Kaplan ruled earlier that Trump cannot deny that, referring to the earlier jury’s finding.

“Consequently, the fact that Mr Trump sexually abused – indeed, raped – Ms Carroll has been conclusively established and is binding in this case,” he said. This month's trial is mainly to determine damages.

It is unclear what Trump means by Carroll's litigation being "Biden encouraged." In fact, the Justice Department under the Biden administration initially tried to intervene against the first lawsuit, arguing that it would interfere with longstanding presidential immunity rules, although DOJ officials reversed course last July and stopped intervening in the case.