Trump's Presidential Immunity Defense Challenged in E. Jean Carroll's Defamation Suit

Donald Trump's lawyer argued in a federal appeals court that the former president should be allowed to assert presidential immunity in response to a defamation lawsuit by writer E. Jean Carroll. Trump is seeking to narrow the case before its January trial date. Trump's immunity defense is similar to the one he is using in his federal criminal case related to the 2020 election. Carroll's lawyer argued against Trump's immunity claim, citing instances where a president should be held legally accountable for public statements. The three-judge panel gave little indication of how they were inclined to rule. Carroll has already won one civil trial against Trump and is pursuing a separate lawsuit over his comments in 2019.