Donald Trump’s legal troubles just got even worse for him

In stark contrast to the late civil rights icon John Lewis, it could be said that Donald Trump has devoted his entire life getting into โbad trouble.โ In addition to appearing as a defendant in countless lawsuits, Trump remains the subject of highly credible and disturbing allegations covering a range of atrocities. A new twist in the defamation lawsuit against Trump by E. Jean Carroll is not only good news, but itโs a prime example of how this clownish criminalโs numerous shenanigans have a way of coming back to bite him.
Carrollโs suit against Trump relates to a horrific underlying account of rape that she alleges took place in a changing room in New York Cityโs Bergdorf Goodman in the mid-1990s. After Carroll published an emotional, detailed account in a book last year, Trump responded with his customary fake news routine, dismissing Carrollโs book as โfiction.โ He even denied ever meeting Carroll, a folly that was quickly refuted by a photograph. Trumpโs disgraceful attack on Carrollโs credibility prompted her lawsuit.
On Thursday, Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Verna L. Saunders ruled that Carrollโs suit may proceed, despite Trumpโs claim of immunity. Saunders cited Trump v. Vance, a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision that made clear that the Constitutionโs Supremacy Clause โdoes notโ prevent a state court from hearing a case against a sitting president. Saunders ruled this applies to all such lawsuits relating to a Presidentโs improper โunofficial/personal conduct.โ
Although the Supreme Courtโs recent action proved pivotal in Carrollโs lawsuit, it concerned the entirely separate matter of Trumpโs fight to keep his tax returns secret. Trump v. Vance, along with Trump v. Mazars decided the same day, gave Trump mostly a win on the narrow issue of his tax returns. However, Trumpโs effort backfired because it also gave the Supreme Court the opportunity to rule that a President of the United States can be subpoenaed relating to state and local crimes, which paved the way for Carrollโs defamation suit to proceed.
In light of the Supreme Courtโs ruling, Saunders also rejected as moot Trumpโs lame argument that Carrollโs lawsuit must wait for a decision in a similar suit by former โApprenticeโ contestant Summer Zervos alleging sexual assault by Trump. Now that Carroll has the green light to pursue discovery against Trump, it means she can seek Trumpโs DNA to determine whether it matches unidentified male DNA found on the dress Carroll wore at Bergdorf.
Of course, nothing has been stopping Trump from willingly offering his DNA to support his empty allegation that Carroll is a liar. Just as Trumpโs โwinโ with his tax returns is now hurting him with Carrollโs lawsuit, fighting back against discovery only makes Trump look guilty of the underlying rape. Trump likes to scare victims and enemies with threats and bravado, but as this latest twist reminds us, Trump is a clueless idiot who is trampling all over himself.

Ron Leshnower is a lawyer and the author of several books, including President Trump’s Month