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The Forgotten Scandal That Could Cost Trump the Election

Last Updated September 23, 2020 2:19 PM
Laura Hoy
Last Updated September 23, 2020 2:19 PM
  • Donald Trump supporters could be confronted with indisputable evidence of his dishonesty in the weeks ahead.
  • E. Jean Carroll’s case has been permitted to move to discovery.
  • She will request his DNA to compare to the dress she wore when he allegedly assaulted her.

It’s been a roller coaster ride for President Donald Trump over the past few months.

From the pandemic to civil unrest across America, the president has quite a bit to overcome to be re-elected. While several polls show Joe Biden in the lead, we learned in 2016 that anything is possible.

Trump might have to do more than defend his handling of the ballooning public health crisis—he may also have to answer to evidence of sexual misconduct as well.

Donald Trump, Trump Lawsuit, E. Jean Carroll
Donald Trump’s sexual misconduct case could be the final nail in his re-election campaign’s coffin. | Source: Spencer Platt/Getty Images/AFP

While Donald supposed mishandling of the coronavirus crisis has taken center stage over the past few months, his legal woes are starting to catch up with him as well.

Back in 2019, several women had come forward accusing the president of sexual assault . The news dominated the headlines for weeks as similar stories caused many to question whether the accusations were true.

Trump’s Assault Allegations Add Up

Trump’s legal team successfully postponed former Apprentice contestant Summer Zervos’ case because the president couldn’t be tied up in frivolous lawsuits. That ruling threatened to topple another case brought by E. Jean Carroll, who claims Trump accosted her years ago in a department store dressing room.

Carroll’s case is unique in that she claims to have DNA evidence connecting her to the attack—she saved the dress she was wearing when Trump allegedly attacked her.

Carroll has yet to get hold of Trump’s DNA as his legal team has been working to postpone the case. The Zervos victory suggested he would be successful, and most people forgot about the ordeal. 

Donald Trump, E. Jean Carroll, Trump Rape
Donald Trump will have to face Carroll in court despite his best efforts to avoid it. | Source: Twitter 

But Trump’s ongoing battle over his tax returns came back to haunt him. A New York judge determined that the Supreme Court ruling denying Trump from blocking his tax returns is applicable now. Trump’s motion to delay the case was dismissed .

The timing for this ordeal couldn’t be worse. If, as the president keeps claiming, coronavirus doesn’t have a second wave in autumn and the U.S. economy can make a U-turn before the election, he might have a chance at winning. The opportunity at re-election could be smaller if he’s knee-deep in a case that paints him as a sexual predator.

In the absence of a booming economy, Trump has positioned himself as the ‘good-guy’ exposing corruption in Washington. It will be far more challenging to maintain that narrative as this case moves forward.

Trump’s DNA Could Be His Undoing

Trump, Donald Trump, E. Jean Carroll
Donald Trump could purger himself if he lies about the encounter and the DNA matches. | Source: Twitter

Trump will likely push back against Carroll’s request for his DNA, but last week’s ruling will allow her legal team to continue pursuing it. If he resists giving up his DNA, it raises the question of what he’s trying to hide.

After all, if he’s never met Carroll as he claims, DNA evidence would go a long way in proving it. If the DNA matches, though, there’s no good outcome for Trump.

At best, Trump’s DNA on Carroll’s dress would suggest that he lied about knowing her. At worst, it could prove he accosted her in that dressing room.

Perhaps the most significant consequence would be that the case draws accusations against the president back into the spotlight. Everything from grabbing and groping to the dropped lawsuit alleging he assaulted a minor at one of Jeffery Epstein’s parties will return to the news cycle. 

For now, Trump’s supporters are willing to believe claims that the media is out to get him, but if Carroll’s dress does contain Trump’s DNA, that would significantly damage his credibility. 


Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of CCN.com.