E. Jean Carroll demands $10M from Trump for CNN comments.

Trump Could Face Additional $10 Million in Damages in Defamation Case

Former President Donald Trump is facing the possibility of an additional $10 million in damages in a defamation case filed by writer E. Jean Carroll. The case stems from remarks made by Trump during a town hall event on CNN, where he “doubled down” on his previous comments about Carroll.

A federal jury in New York found Trump liable on May 9 for committing battery against Carroll and later defaming her when he denied her claim that he raped her in a department store dressing room in the 1990s. The defamation lawsuit involved Trump’s comments from a Truth Social post in October 2022, referring to Carroll’s allegations as a “complete con job” and saying that she “is not my type.”

Attorneys representing Carroll have proposed amendments to the first of her two defamation lawsuits against Trump, which would hold the former president liable for remarks made at a CNN broadcast on May 10. The lawyers argue that Trump’s defamatory statements post-verdict show the depth of his malice toward Carroll and support a very substantial punitive damages award in her favor.

Trump Denies Accusations

During the town hall, Trump called the verdict a “fake story” and denied he knew Carroll. He continued to deny the accusation in a Truth Social post on Tuesday, claiming the Carroll case is “part of the Democrats playbook to tarnish” his name and likeness.

Attorneys for Trump filed a notice of appeal in New York on May 11, contesting the federal jury’s verdict that found him liable for committing battery and defamation.

What’s Next?

According to Reuters, attorneys for Carroll said in a letter to U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan on Monday that because “Trump’s alleged defamatory statements were essentially the same, the only open issues are whether he was immune for making the first statement, and if not what damages he owes.”

It remains to be seen what the outcome of this case will be, but it is clear that the legal battle between Trump and Carroll is far from over.