Trump Lawyer Tries – and Fails – to Pivot to Hunter Biden in Contentious CNN Interview About E. Jean Carroll (Video)
During an appearance on CNN, Donald Trump’s attorney Alina Habba tried — and failed — to divert a contentious conversation about the E. Jean Carroll verdict to President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter.
“Meanwhile, we have Hunter Biden,” Habba began as “CNN Primetime” anchor Dana Bash jumped in to course-correct, speaking over the attorney.
“Well, this is not about Hunter Biden, let’s stay focused on this case,” Brash asserted.
The segment aired Tuesday night after the verdict in Carroll’s sex abuse case against the former president came down in her favor. Carroll sued Trump over his public denials that he raped her at a department store in 1996. The federal jury ordered him to pay Carroll $5 million — the first time sex abuse allegations have had legal consequences for the candidate now seeking a second term in the White House.
The nine-person jury, six men and three women, got the case Tuesday morning, and returned its verdict a few hours later, finding that Trump more likely than not sexually assaulted Carroll and defamed her years later. It did not, however, affirm Carroll’s claim that she was raped, which would likely have increased the monetary award.
Trump told Fox News Digital after the verdict that he plans to appeal, which Habba reaffirmed to Bash before trying to switch the subject to Hunter Biden.
“We are going to appeal a lot of things, the constitutionality, the jury that failed to find a rape verdict but somehow said he was defaming her when he said he did not do it and she is not his type. All of a sudden that is a crime in this country, that is sick,” Habba said. “Meanwhile, we have Hunter Biden doing God knows what and we’re waiting tomorrow to see what happens, I doubt anything will happen because that’s the world we’re living in.”
That’s when Bash quickly pointed out that the segment was not about Biden and to focus on Carroll’s case, to which Habba replied: “Yeah, let’s stay focused: This is political. So it is, absolutely, it’s political, and if you can’t see that then you have blinders on, you truly do.”
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Later in the interview, Bash pointed out that there are 15 women who have alleged that Trump sexually harassed or assaulted them. But before she could ask whether Habba was concerned about any further legal actions being taken against her client, she interrupted.
“Are you talking about 2016?” Habba said. “Is that the desperation that we’re at right now?”
“Right. Are you concerned? Are you concerned that the case that we saw today that it is maybe just the beginning, that other criminal action could be in the future?,” Bash asked.
“No. I think you’re concerned that he is going to win, which is why you’re bringing up 2016 things because you have nothing to bring up. But that’s what I think. You’re concerned, and you should be concerned,” Habba fired back. “He’s leading in the polls.”
“I’m a journalist,” Bash replied. “I am not concerned about anything. I’m asking you, as one of his attorneys, about things that are out there in addition to what you are here to talk about.”
Habba then claimed that the motivations of the women are purely political.
“These 15 women, are we talking about 2016 when he was running and did win?” she questioned. “I don’t have 15 women that have come forward with a claim. OK. Where are they? I don’t have them.”
Watch the full segment in the video above.
