Judge dismisses Trump counterclaim against E. Jean Carroll

A federal judge on Monday dismissed former President Donald Trump's own defamation claim against writer E. Jean Carroll, whom a New York jury previously found that Trump himself defamed.

Trump's defamation claim was a counterclaim in Carroll's second defamation suit, The Hill reported. U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan dismissed the claim, determining that the public statement Carroll made with which Trump took issue was true.

"The difference between Ms. Carroll’s allegedly defamatory statements — that Mr. Trump 'raped' her as defined in the New York Penal Law — and the 'truth' — that Mr. Trump forcibly digitally penetrated Ms. Carroll — is minimal. Both are felonious sex crimes," Kaplan wrote.

Carroll accused Trump in 2019 of raping her during the 1990s, prompting a denial from Trump. Carroll sued Trump at the time, though her claims have been delayed due to questions as to whether Trump enjoyed presidential immunity, which Kaplan has rejected.

Her other suit, which saw a jury hold Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation, stemmed from comments he made after leaving office. Trump maintains his denials of her story despite the jury decision and has taken steps to appeal. The jury notably found that Trump had not raped Carroll, but rather committed sexual abuse.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on Twitter.