DOJ: Trump not immune in Carroll defamation lawsuit

The US Department of Justice (DoJ) has reversed its position and will no longer defend former President Donald Trump in a defamation lawsuit brought by writer E Jean Carroll, who accused Trump of sexually assaulting her in 1996. The DoJ's decision paves the way for a possible trial in January 2024. Carroll has already won a separate case against Trump, with a New York jury finding him liable for sexual abuse and defamation, ordering him to pay $5 million in damages. Trump had sought to delay the defamation lawsuit by claiming presidential immunity, but the DoJ's reversal leaves him legally exposed and reliant on his own legal team. Carroll is seeking $10 million in damages in the first suit.