No sooner had former US President Donald Trump announced the release of his new book, Letters to Trump, than a new attack “happened”. The trial will continue on the lawsuit brought by the American journalist Jean Carroll against the politician who is already being prosecuted. For a moment, the story that was silent for a while will again recall the incident nearly 30 years ago when Trump allegedly raped Carroll in the dressing room of a New York department store. The jury trial is scheduled for Tuesday.
“My new book is coming out next week! Incredible collection of letters, photos and my comments on it all,” Donald Trump wrote on his Truth Social with palpable anticipation of success.
From April 25 (that is, from Tuesday), Letters to Trump will be available for purchase in the online store for $99 per copy, but with the autograph of the politician – for 399 $. However, on the same day, a less joyful event for the ex-president is also expected. American journalist and writer Jean Carroll, who alleged Trump raped her in the dressing room of a New York luxury store in 1995, has decided to relaunch her trial in the case.
Waiting for the moment when New York waived the usual one-year deadline for filing sex offense complaints, Carroll seized the opportunity with lightning speed. According to the innovation, victims of such crimes can receive compensation for acts of violence against them that occurred many years or even decades ago.
Trump, who is unlikely to attend the trial, called the allegations a “total scam”. And Carroll herself explains her decision to resuscitate past cases again through the “search for accountability,” which is inspired by the #MeToo movement. “I’m filing this complaint not just for myself, but for every woman in America who’s been grabbed, groped, sexually assaulted, sexually abused…” Carroll explained.
As stories about the alleged connection between Trump and Carroll have existed for many years, she has developed her own “biography”. It all started when Trump (then still a New York businessman) recognized Jean Carroll in the crowd of visitors to the Bergdorf Goodman store. Already at that time (namely, in 1995), the woman led the author’s column “Ask E. Jean” in Elle magazine. These opuses were popular and almost everyone recognized the journalist herself.
Approaching Carroll, Trump reportedly asked for help choosing a gift for a certain woman, whose name was not mentioned in the lawsuit. Carroll admitted the request sounded “just lovely” to her, so she decided to help. However, the woman grew suspicious when Trump suggested she try on a see-through bodysuit. Upon entering the dressing room, the businessman, according to the reporter, closed the door and began to harass her in every possible way.
Only two close friends, Lisa Birnbach and Carol Martin, knew about the story. When Carroll publicly accused Trump of attempting to rape her in 2019, it was these two women who corroborated their friend’s testimony. Then, like today, Trump denied all charges, insisting that the journalist simply wanted to sell her new book, Why Do We Need Men? In 2020, Trump filed a motion to stay the case. Yet in 2021, a New York judge refused, at the time, for the ex-president to end the review of the lawsuit brought by the “victim”, and Carroll’s lawyers announced the preparation of new charges against Trump.
Trump’s defense team, for its part, appears set to charge Carroll with a politically motivated attack on the former president. Judge Lewis Kaplan allowed the defense to adduce evidence that the writer’s trial was partly funded by billionaire co-founder of LinkedIn, Reed Hoffman, known for his critical attitude towards Donald Trump.
Some foreign analysts suggest that the political consequences of the newly emerged case will manifest, but not immediately. For example, the director of the University of Virginia Policy Center, Larry Sabato, expressed this thought: “It will not affect his base. Not only will this not hurt him, but it will reinforce the perception among his core supporters that he is being persecuted. For the nomination, it can even be a plus.
Despite such confidence that Trump will also get away with this investigation, this story could theoretically damage his political destiny, as Americans who do not see themselves as part of the pro-Trumpist MAGA movement could react negatively to it.
According to the Associated Press, if Trump wins the lawsuit, he is likely to use that fact again as his own publicity. The politician will insist on his allegations that all the charges against him are “false”, because his own victory will serve as proof. And again – in 2024, the US presidential election. Motivating any investigation against him now with “political persecution” is easy enough, which Trump uses. It must be admitted that it is precisely those who initiate such processes who create the basis for them. The authority of the ex-president does not suffer much from such clashes.
According to a recent Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll, his favorable rating remains stable at 34% among American adults in general and 68% among Republicans.
If Trump loses in this case, the consequences will depend on the circumstances of the court decision. So far, Carroll is only asking for unspecified damages and Trump’s refusal to refute his charges. And that’s why the American press suggests that this whole affair could cost Trump money, but not freedom. And this can already be considered a formal victory for the 45th American president.
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