In a significant legal development, former President Donald Trump's defamation counterclaim against writer E. Jean Carroll has been dismissed by a United States judge. This ruling comes after a civil trial earlier this year found Trump liable for sexually abusing and defaming Carroll, although it fell short of finding him liable for rape. The trial jury had awarded Carroll $5 million in damages. However, Trump's attorneys argued that Carroll defamed him in an interview where she reiterated her rape allegations.

US District Judge Lewis Kaplan, in his ruling, stated that Carroll's statements were "substantially true" and that Trump failed to prove that she had made them with actual malice. This ruling echoed the judge's previous statement that Trump had "digitally raped" Carroll. Carroll's lawyer, Roberta A. Kaplan, expressed satisfaction with the decision and announced that they anticipated a quick trial in January to seek additional damages. On the other hand, Trump's legal team has indicated their intention to appeal the ruling.

The defamation lawsuit was filed by Carroll in 2022, making use of a New York law that allowed adults a one-year window to sue over past sexual abuse. Carroll had initially accused Trump of sexually assaulting her in the mid-1990s, publicly coming forward in June 2019. At the time, Trump vehemently denied the allegations, branding them as "totally false" and dismissing Carroll as a liar trying to sell a book. He also asserted that Carroll was not his “type” and therefore he would not have assaulted her. The jury's findings in the civil trial in May confirmed that Trump had sexually abused Carroll, but did not meet the legal threshold for rape under the New York penal code.

This latest ruling comes amidst a series of legal challenges faced by Donald Trump. He is presently confronted with three indictments, one of which involves attempting to overturn the 2020 presidential vote. In addition to the ongoing defamation case with Carroll, Trump is scheduled to face a criminal trial in March 2023 for falsifying business records related to a hush money payment prior to the 2016 election. Furthermore, he is set to go on trial in May 2023 on federal felony charges related to the alleged retention of national security information after leaving the White House. Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges and consistently denied all allegations against him, accusing both prosecutors and Carroll of political bias.

The dismissal of Trump's defamation counterclaim is viewed as a setback to his legal defense strategy, potentially impacting his future legal battles. The ruling that Carroll's statements were "substantially true" raises doubts about the credibility of Trump's denials and could have repercussions for his reputation. The upcoming defamation trial in January will shed further light on the legal consequences of Trump's actions and statements. As the legal proceedings unfold, the implications for Trump's political ambitions and his potential candidacy for the presidency in 2024 remain uncertain.