Trump's Defamation Suit Against E. Jean Carroll Faces Potential Backfire

A federal judge has rejected former President Donald Trump's claim of "presidential immunity" in a defamation lawsuit brought by writer E. Jean Carroll. The judge ruled that Trump's disparaging comments about Carroll in 2019 had no legitimate connection to his duties as president. This ruling paves the way for Carroll's second lawsuit against Trump to proceed to trial. Last month, Trump was found liable for sexual assault and defamation in another lawsuit brought by Carroll. Trump's assertion of presidential immunity has been repeatedly rejected by the courts, and this latest ruling is another setback for his attempts to use the protections of the presidency to shield himself from civil litigation.