Justice Department defends Trump in defamation suit

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E. Jean Carroll Associated Press/Photo by Seth Wenig (file)

Justice Department defends Trump in defamation suit

In a brief filed with the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday, government lawyers said President Donald Trump cannot be held personally liable for comments he made while president. The case stems from claims by columnist E. Jean Carroll that Trump raped her in the mid-1990s. When reporters asked him about it, Trump said Carroll was lying, and she sued him for defamation.

Why is the Justice Department supporting Trump? Attorneys said the former president used “crude and disrespectful language” but was “within the scope of his office” in denying wrongdoing. U.S. legal precedent states a president has immunity from civil liability for official acts. Carroll should sue the United States, not Trump personally, the Justice Department said.

Dig deeper: Read Lynde Langdon’s report in The Stew about Carroll’s accusations against Trump.

Leigh Jones

Leigh is features editor for WORLD. She is a World Journalism Institute graduate who spent six years as a newspaper reporter in Texas before joining WORLD News Group. Leigh also co-wrote Infinite Monster: Courage, Hope, and Resurrection in the Face of One of America's Largest Hurricanes. She resides with her husband and daughter in Houston, Texas.