Trump uses Justice Department against E. Jean Carroll

Donald Trump refuses to accept the conviction to pay $88.3 million in damages to E. Jean Carroll. Instead, the US President is deploying his Justice Department to take action against the author – an unusual step that could test the limits of presidential power.

Carroll sued Trump in 2023 after he publicly disputed her rape allegations from the 1990s and called her a liar. A New York court found Trump liable for sexual harassment and defamation. Die Welt reports that Trump is now attempting to challenge this decision through state legal remedies instead of paying the penalty.

Constitutional limits on presidential power

This approach raises questions about the separation of executive and judicial branches. Trump's strategy suggests he wants to use the Justice Department's resources to influence private litigation in his favor – an approach critics call an abuse of presidential power. ZDF documents that such interventions in ongoing proceedings are constitutionally controversial.

Carroll has already signaled that she will demand payment. Her lawyers could initiate enforcement measures if Trump continues to refuse to pay. The question of whether a sitting Justice Department may represent a president in private civil proceedings could ultimately land before the Supreme Court.

The case reveals a fundamental tension: Can a president use the power of his office to solve personal legal problems? N-TV notes that this represents one of the most controversial questions of the Trump presidency.