'Risky strategy': Expert says Trump 'missed the boat' on discrediting E. Jean Carroll
January 18, 2024
Former President Donald Trump's strategy to discredit E. Jean Carroll's rape allegations at his defamation trial is a dangerous move that could blow up in his face, civil rights attorney Areva Martin argued on CNN Thursday.
This comes following an explosive week of drama in the trial, in which Trump was threatened with expulsion from the courtroom and his lawyer Alina Habba was repeatedly warned to stop asking inappropriate questions of the plaintiff.
"I'm curious to get your thoughts on the defense focus here on the idea that Carroll once had this lucrative career that fizzled out," said anchor Boris Sanchez. "That is when she decided to write a book that included the Trump allegations. And that she has actually profited off of Trump denying the accusations she has made about him. How does that play in court?"
That line of attack, Martin replied, is "a risky strategy."
"To be honest with you, I think it misses the boat here," she said. "The real issue here is the reputational damage. She has counted more than 26 times Donald Trump called her a liar. And not only Donald Trump the civilian, but Donald Trump the President of the United States. One of the most powerful men in the world basically attacked her. And she has testified, and there is evidence, that after that attack, she received death threats. She had serious reputational damage ... the overwhelming evidence in this case is in favor of E. Jean Carroll."
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Not only have Carroll's attorneys played clip after clip of Trump denigrating her, Sanchez said, but they could potentially "play portions of that infamous 'Access Hollywood' recording in which Trump is heard saying vulgar comments about grabbing women. Walk us through the strategy by E. Jean Carroll's team."
"Yes," said Martin. "That will be very consequential. It is going to, I think, have a tremendous impact on this jury. What his lawyers want the jurors to know is that Donald Trump has the mindset of making these kinds of disparaging, very inflammatory, defamatory remarks about women. And that he knows that he is doing. And that he does it purposely. And he does it with malice. A big part of this is not just the compensatory damages but the punitive damages that send a message to a defendant that your conduct will not be tolerated, and that you will pay a large monetary award if you continue in this conduct. So I think if jurors hear that tape — we know how inflammatory that tape is. It could cause this jury to rule in favor of E. Jean Carroll and award her substantial damage."
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