The Insight from E. Jean Carroll's Case on Donald Trump's Various Legal Obstacles | Vanity Fair

Article written by Brian Stelter

Brian Stelter, the host of Inside the Hive, recently had a conversation with Andrea Bernstein from NPR, who has been present at the courtroom for the defamation case of E. Jean Carroll against former president Donald Trump, as well as Vanity Fair special correspondent Molly Jong-Fast. 

"This trial doesn't revolve around whether or not she was defamed, as that was already established in her prior trial. The issue of sexual assault is also not in question as that too was already resolved in the earlier trial," Bernstein explained. "The real question is, how much money will Trump be ordered to pay her. Hence, her testimony has been about the impact Trump’s statements had on her life."

Bernstein adds that "following the court proceedings, Trump heads to 40 Wall Street- a property he owns. Right before boarding a plane to continue campaigning, he reiterates his claims that the trial is a hoax, fraudulent, and rigged," she details. "These statements then become evidence in the subsequent day’s trial. This is unlike anything I’ve witnessed before." 

The pair also discussed Trump’s strategy of using these legal proceedings as a backdrop to paint himself as a victim of an unjust system. They observe this has been an active strategy of his during campaigns. Additionally, they suspect his public rants and ongoing attacks on Carroll could be foreshadowing forthcoming criminal trials.

"One of the strategies that Trump employs, which can often be detrimental to him but proved effective during his political campaigns, is his repetitive usage of successful tactics," Jong-Fast points out. "His belief is that this strategy worked well, as it spurred his supporters. He believes that these individuals, who see him as the final say on reality, felt unjustly treated by the legal issues Trump faced. He believes this technique worked and he is likely to persist with it.”