DOJ Reverses Previous Support for Trump Immunity in E. Jean Carroll Defamation Lawsuit

Former President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump prepares to deliver remarks at a Nevada Republican volunteer recruiting event at Fervent: A Calvary Chapel in Las Vegas on July 8, 2023. Mario Tama/Getty Images

The Department of Justice does not believe former President Donald Trump was immune from civil action as a public official when he allegedly made defamatory statements against author E. Jean Carroll in 2019 and will therefore not defend him.

The decision marks a U-turn for the DOJ, which had previously defended Mr. Trump in a lawsuit filed against him by Ms. Carroll in 2019.