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President Donald Trump is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to toss two verdicts against him resulting from civil litigation brought by writer E. Jean Carroll. In 2019, the famous advice columnist published a memoir describing an encounter in the 1990s when she says Trump sexually assaulted her in a department store. When Trump denied the account, Carroll sued him and won $5 million in damages, with a unanimous New York jury finding Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation. After Trump made disparaging remarks about Carroll, she sued him again and won a second defamation judgment for $83.3 million. Federal courts have upheld both verdicts, but now Trump’s attorneys are asking the Supreme Court to overturn them, asserting he has “absolute immunity” as president.

Carroll’s life and her legal fight against Trump are the focus of a new documentary, Ask E. Jean, by award-winning filmmaker Ivy Meeropol. “This is an incredible opportunity for audiences to see what really goes on when a woman brings a case like this, especially against a powerful man,” Meeropol says.

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.

AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now!, democracynow.org. I’m Amy Goodman.

Will the Supreme Court let two verdicts against President Trump stand for the sexual abuse and defamation of writer E. Jean Carroll? In 2019, E. Jean Carroll published her memoir, What Do We Need Men For?, in which she described an encounter in the 1990s when President Trump, she said, sexually assaulted her in a department store dressing room at Bergdorf Goodman. At the time, she was a well-known advice columnist and host of her own TV show.

E. Jean Carroll Says She’ll Use $83 Million Judgment on “Something Trump Hates”

When President Trump denied the account, E. Jean Carroll sued him and won. A unanimous New York jury found Donald Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation, and awarded E. Jean Carroll $5 million in damages. President Trump then denied knowing Carroll and called her a “whack job” on CNN. E. Jean Carroll then sued him again for defamation. A second jury, also unanimous, awarded her $83.3 million. But she has yet to see a penny.

Federal courts upheld both verdicts, but now President Trump’s attorneys are asking the Supreme Court to overturn them, asserting the president has absolute immunity for comments he makes as president. The Department of Justice has submitted a filing to the Supreme Court backing the president’s argument. Trump’s attorneys have also sought to invoke a federal statute to swap the president out as defendant and have the U.S. government take his place, which would essentially nullify the verdicts, as the federal government can’t be sued for defamation. The verdict is on pause until the Supreme Court either reviews the two cases or decides to pass. The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals conditioned the stay on President Trump posting a bond of nearly $100 million.

Well, a new documentary goes through all of this and more. It’s called Ask E. Jean Carroll. The film is directed and produced by the award-winning filmmaker Ivy Meeropol. Her past films include Heir to an Execution, a documentary about her grandparents, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, who were executed at Sing Sing in the 1950s. In a moment, we’ll be joined by Ivy Meeropol, but first, this is the trailer for Ask E. Jean.

E. JEAN CARROLL: There’s no such thing as destiny, dear listener. We ourselves make our lives. All the time I’m writing, writing, writing. And then I write this little quiz, and Esquire buys it. I got one taste of New York, and I thought, “Wow!” I was as happy a being as ever existed. All my dreams were about becoming an advice columnist. And Roger Ailes gave me my own TV show. UNIDENTIFIED: You don’t really care who comments about anything — E. JEAN CARROLL: No, I don’t. UNIDENTIFIED: — because, I mean, you comment on everything. ALINA HABBA: If you were concerned about being dragged through the mud, why would you choose to sue Donald Trump? E. JEAN CARROLL: Because he called me a liar, and I couldn’t let it stand. I called you right after the attack. LISA BIRNBACH: I was very disappointed that you wouldn’t report him. E. JEAN CARROLL: They never would have believed me. LISA BIRNBACH: You were more famous than he was. E. JEAN CARROLL: Here comes this huge attorney, Robbie Kaplan. She laid out the case. If women could see what kind of questions their fellow woman is asked when she brings charges against a powerful man. ALINA HABBA: Were you wearing underwear? Did you wear a bra? Are you taking any medications and drugs? Have you ever had acting classes? E. JEAN CARROLL: No. CAROL MARTIN: There was some darkness coming in. E. JEAN CARROLL: We were prepping for the second trial, and Robbie said, “The man you have not seen in 30 years is going to be in that courtroom.” ROBERTA KAPLAN: E. Jean Carroll had the guts to face him down. E. JEAN CARROLL: Twice! I am thinking of getting a toaster.

E. JEAN CARROLL: There’s no such thing as destiny, dear listener. We ourselves make our lives.

All the time I’m writing, writing, writing. And then I write this little quiz, and Esquire buys it. I got one taste of New York, and I thought, “Wow!” I was as happy a being as ever existed. All my dreams were about becoming an advice columnist. And Roger Ailes gave me my own TV show.

UNIDENTIFIED: You don’t really care who comments about anything —

E. JEAN CARROLL: No, I don’t.

UNIDENTIFIED: — because, I mean, you comment on everything.

ALINA HABBA: If you were concerned about being dragged through the mud, why would you choose to sue Donald Trump?

E. JEAN CARROLL: Because he called me a liar, and I couldn’t let it stand.

I called you right after the attack.

LISA BIRNBACH: I was very disappointed that you wouldn’t report him.

E. JEAN........

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