Internet weighs in as E Jean Carroll expresses ‘very serious concerns’ Trump won’t pay $83M judgment

MANHATTAN, NEW YORK: Writer E Jean Carroll expressed "very serious concerns" that former President Donald Trump would not pay her the $83.3 million penalty she won in January in the defamation trial, reported The Hill.

The longtime advice columnist raised the concerns on Thursday, February 29, in court papers filed by her lawyer, Roberta Kaplan, while responding to Trump's demand to delay the judgment's enforcement.

"He simply asks the Court to 'trust me' and offers, in a case with an $83.3 million judgment against him, the court filing equivalent of a paper napkin; signed by the least trustworthy of borrowers," Carroll's lawyer wrote in the court papers.

A Manhattan jury in late January ordered Trump to pay $83.3 million to the plaintiff for defaming her in 2019 by denying her sexual assault claims. A week ago, the ex-president asked New York Judge Lewis Kaplan to suspend the enforcement for a month as he attempts to get the verdict reduced or overturned entirely.

E Jean Carroll raises concerns about Donald Trump's financial standing

A massive $355 million fine against Trump in the New York civil fraud case, which as of now is close to $500 million upon adding the interest, led Carroll to doubt whether the former President is in a position to pay her.

"To begin, recent developments give rise to very serious concerns about Trump's cash position and the feasibility (and ease) of collecting on the judgment in this case," the writer's lawyers wrote.

Despite NY Attorney General Letitia James's continued warnings about the repercussions of not paying the penalty, the White House hopeful appealed to overturn the civil fraud verdict.

Carroll's attorneys further pointed at the 91 criminal charges against the GOP frontrunner over four indictments that could "end his career as a businessman permanently."

His first criminal trial over hush money payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels is scheduled to begin in March. His other federal indictments include election subversion attempts, including allegations of involvement in the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack and mishandling of classified documents.

"Moreover, by the time the post-trial motions (or the appeal) are fully resolved, Trump may be in a very different position," Carroll's lawyer wrote, adding, "He could then be President of the United States; he could then be a convicted criminal serving time behind bars; or, given his advanced age, Carroll may be forced to reckon with his estate. Any of these developments could substantially complicate collection efforts here."

Though Trump's net worth is estimated between $2.6 billion and $3.1 billion, it remains unclear whether the former President has the cash to pay up the massive penalties in the two civil cases.

Internet reacts

Addressing Carroll's concerns, netizens expressed the opinion that Trump might not pay the penalty, suggesting he was financially strapped.

One user said, "Lol she will not see a penny."

Another remarked, "She'll have to leave it to her cat in her will because I doubt she will see a penny of it in her lifetime."

"She should be able to seize and sell his assets. Start with his golf courses," one user added. While another response read, "Why would he?he still has the appeals process."

Someone else claimed, "She should be concerned…he doesn’t have the money."

"She should have settled for $1M. Now she'll likely have to spend about $5M in fees to possibly get nothing," another person chimed in.

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.