Donald Trump's race to Oval office in jeopardy as trial of sexual assault is far from over

Former president Donald Trump has been caught in a storm of legal actions since he left the White House in 2020. Whether it’s about election fraud, impeachments or sexual abuse, Trump’s legal team is busy on all fronts.

On Monday 29 August, Judge Tanya Chutkan set a start date for the trial about Trump’s possible election obstructions. This trial will start in March 2024. However, it now appears that Trump is also going to trial in January 2024 concerning his case against columnist E Jean Carroll.

This is another significant blow for Donald Trump as it stands in the way of his 2024 presidential campaign.

Trump’s second trial against E Jean Carroll

Donald Trump probably thought that his trial against Carroll was over in May 2023 when he was found guilty of sexual abuse and defamation. At the time Trump had to pay Carroll $5 million. But, unfortunately for the 45th president, the trouble with Carroll didn’t stop then.

On Wednesday 6 September 2023, Judge Lewis Kaplan announced that Trump would be investigated on more defamation grounds. The Judge said:

The jury [in the first trial] considered and decided issues that are common to both cases – including whether Mr Trump falsely accused Ms Carroll of fabricating her sexual assault charge

Moreover, because Donald Trump was found guilty of sexual assault, the statements he made in 2019 about E Jean Carroll are now even more relevant and show that he accused her of fabricating a story even though he knew it was true.

The Telegraph reports on Judge Kaplan’s full statement in which he says:

he did it with knowledge that this accusation was false or acted with reckless disregard for the truth

Read more: Donald Trump believes he can prevent World War III: 'I’m the only candidate to make that promise'

Trump’s 2024 campaign takes another hit

It has been announced that this second trial in the E. Jean Carroll v. Donald J. Trump case will be limited to ‘damages for the original defamatory statements Donald Trump made.’

While this seems like an ‘easy’ trial for Trump the timing of it is most inconvenient. Indeed, the trial is set to start in January 2024 directly clashing with the beginning of the Republican primaries. Currently Donald Trump is the leader of his party, being at the top of polls assuring that he will be the Republican Presidential nominee.

However, his hopes of having a second shot in the Oval Office are being challenged as several trials are in the way of his campaign plans. Indeed, in March 2024, Trump will be in court and won't be able to be on the campaign trail. Trump also faces ‘federal election subversion (four), state election subversion (13), hush-money payments during the 2016 election (34), and retention of classified information (40),’ a total of 91 criminal charges, as reported by The Guardian.

Sources:

The Guardian: Major blow to Trump as judge limits second E Jean Carroll trial to damages

The Telegraph: Judge rules Trump in 2019 defamed writer who has already won a sex abuse and libel suit against him