In a recent campaign event in Las Vegas, former President Donald Trump did not directly address the $83.3 million defamation ruling against him but appeared to allude to it in his remarks. The comments came a day after a federal jury ordered Trump to pay punitive damages in a defamation case brought by E. Jean Carroll, a columnist who accused him of sexually assaulting her.
During the campaign event, Trump focused on familiar themes and grievances, playing to his supporters. While he didn’t explicitly discuss the recent legal ruling, he made a passing reference to what happened to him “yesterday” when talking about “election interference” and the challenges he perceives.
Trump asserted that he is leading in polls and framed Joe Biden as a threat to democracy, citing incompetence as the primary reason. The former president lamented what he characterized as election interference and alluded to the legal developments, stating, “Look at all this crap that’s going on! But we keep marching forward.”
Prior to the campaign event, Trump had taken to Truth Social, his social media platform, to express dissatisfaction with the defamation ruling. He called it “Absolutely ridiculous” and announced his intention to appeal, framing it as a “Biden Directed Witch Hunt” targeting him and the Republican Party. Trump’s remarks on Truth Social also criticized the legal system, claiming it was out of control and being used as a political weapon.
Continuing with his speech, Trump then shifted to a familiar theme of claiming political victimhood, comparing his treatment to historical figures. He dismissed the Civil War and asserted that he was treated worse than Abraham Lincoln, a narrative that aligns with his tendency to portray himself as a target of unfair treatment.
Trump’s comments during the campaign event reflect his ongoing strategy of rallying his supporters around grievances, focusing on perceived injustices, and framing legal challenges as politically motivated attacks.
