Trump Faces Second Defamation Lawsuit from E. Jean Carroll Amid Criticism of His Legal Strategy

Representative Elise Stefanik faces backlash for defending Trump, echoing his claims that the lawsuit is a political 'witch hunt.'

Former President Donald Trump is currently embroiled in a civil defamation lawsuit brought by E. Jean Carroll, a former columnist for Elle, who has accused him of attacking her character by denying her allegations that he sexually assaulted her during an encounter in the 1990s.
In May 2023, a New York jury found that Trump sexually abused Carroll and defamed her after she went public with the allegation, ordering him to pay $5 million in damages.
Carroll has filed a second defamation lawsuit, seeking at least $10 million, for comments Trump made in 2019 when he was still president.
Trump's legal team, including lawyer Alina Habba, have repeatedly attempted to put focus on Carroll's associations with public figures known to be highly critical of Trump, including George Conway, who has dismissed the notion that he had anything significant to do with Carroll's decision to sue.
Representative Elise Stefanik, a New York Republican, is facing backlash after her defense of Trump in Carroll's defamation lawsuit, repeatedly echoing Trump's claims that the lawsuit is a political 'witch hunt.'