What to know about E. Jean Carroll's defamation case:
- Nine jurors were selected today in the trial to determine what damages former President Donald Trump owes E. Jean Carroll, the writer he was found to have defamed. Among them are a retired New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority employee and an ER doctor.
- The court adjourned after 4:30 p.m. and will resume tomorrow.
- Trump was in attendance at the trial the morning after he won the Iowa caucuses. U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan is overseeing the proceedings. Trump left in the afternoon to attend a rally in New Hampshire.
- A jury last year found Trump liable for sexually abusing and defaming Carroll and awarded her $5 million in damages.
Trump lawyer defends former president outside courthouse
Trump attorney Boris Epshteyn defended the former president to reporters who were waiting outside the courthouse shortly after today's proceedings adjourned.
Epshteyn listed a slew of grievances with the case and argued that the judge should have recused himself because of previous work with Carroll's attorney. Epshteyn also said Trump could not get a fair trial in New York because of his political climate and asserted a presidential immunity argument that he said should shield Trump from civil lawsuits.
"Presidents are immune from civil lawsuits because if they're not immune, no president is ever going to be able to serve their terms, to do their duties, to protect Americans," Epshteyn said. "Presidents enjoy full civil and criminal immunity."
Trump lashes out at Judge Kaplan, blames trial for absence from New Hampshire ahead of primary
Trump lashed out at Judge Kaplan in a post on Truth Social this afternoon, calling him a “Trump Hating, Radical Left Judge” and a "Bully."
Trump blamed the trial for his absence from the New Hampshire campaign trail, saying that he “should be in New Hampshire” but that instead he “had to spend time in a federal courthouse.” He is not required to be present in court, and he did not attend the first trial. He will be in New Hampshire for a rally at 6:30 p.m. ET.
Court adjourns
The trial has adjourned for the day and will continue tomorrow.
Haley says 'I haven't paid attention' to cases against Trump
Haley was asked during a CNN interview today for comment about Trump being held liable for sexual abuse, but declined to criticize the former president.
"I mean, first of all, I haven't paid attention to his his cases, and I'm not a lawyer," she said. "All I know is that he's innocent until proven guilty."
In an apparent effort to redirect the focus on Biden, she said that both Trump and Biden are being probed as part of investigations. (Biden has been investigated for classified documents found in his office and home that he promptly turned over once discovered.)
When pressed about some Republicans framing the cases against Trump as a "witch hunt," Haley said that the cases "need to be heard out, he needs to defend himself."
"If he is found guilty, he's going to pay the price. If he's not found guilty, then we move forward," she added.
Trump lawyer argues that Carroll did not suffer damages
Trump's attorney Alina Habba argued during her opening statement that Carroll did not suffer damages from Trump; rather, Habba argued that Carroll gained fame, status and attention.
Habba said that Carroll's suits helped spark the writer's career and asserted that Carroll enjoys basking in the limelight and capitalizing on fame. Trump's lawyer alleged that Carroll enjoys her new brand and does not want to fix her reputation.
Earlier, Carroll's attorney argued that Trump's lie ruined her reputation. Her attorney also said that Trump set out to ruin Carroll's life and asked the jury to hold the former president accountable.
Carroll's attorney argues the public believed Trump's claims
Carroll's attorney, Crowley, said that the public believed Trump's denials because he made those comments from the White House, which she argued, is a place where presidents declare wars.
Crowley said that of course people across the country listened to Trump and that many believed what he said.
She added that the evidence will show that when Trump called Carroll a liar and a fraud, the public listened and believed him and his supporters latched on and bombarded her with threats.
Carroll's lawyer says they plan to call her and other experts to testify
Shawn Crowley, Carroll's lawyer, said their case will include testimony from Carroll herself and Ashley Humphries, a journalism professor from Northwestern University who testified in the 2023 defamation trial. The jury will also hear from a former editor of Elle, where Carroll was a columnist.
Carroll's attorney describes assault in opening statement
In her opening statement, Carroll's attorney, Shawn Crowley, said that in 1996, Trump sexually assaulted the writer in a department store dressing room.
Crowley said the sexual assault has been proven by a separate trial last year. Carroll's attorney recounted that Trump, when he was president, said that he had no idea who she was, accused her of lying to make money and threatened her.
Trump then had the world's biggest megaphone to attack Carroll, Crowley said. She said that every statement from Trump was an outright lie, which she said has already been decided and proven by nine jurors. The jury, she said, heard two weeks of testimony in that trial and unanimously agreed that Trump sexually assaulted Carroll and defamed her when he falsely claimed it never happened.
Crowley said the now-seated jury in this new trial will need to decide whether Trump's defamatory statements caused Carroll harm and how much money the former president should pay her.
Judge instructs jury that facts of the case aren't in dispute
The judge told the jury that the previous trial had already established that Carroll's accusations against Trump are factual and that they are being tasked only with considering damages.
Kaplan told the jury they must accept these points as true no matter what else they hear. This trial is not a do-over or a second bite of the apple, he said.
Trump has left for New Hampshire
The former president didn't stay for opening arguments in the trial. He left for New Hampshire where he has a rally scheduled tonight, exactly a week ahead of the state's primary election.