Donald Trump recently approved the deployment of an extra 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles. This decision is especially notable given his current, continued entanglement in legal disputes and political court scheming. Meanwhile, Trump is still dealing with a host of other lawsuits. These include the grave charges of sexual assault and defamation by former magazine columnist E. Jean Carroll. Donald Trump’s legal team proudly claims that he has one last avenue to defeat the case. They do intend to seek a hearing in the Supreme Court.
In fact, in three recent statements Trump has predicted that he would be able to cut a rare earths deal with China. He told them that they have worked out the deal. He stated that “President Trump will keep winning against Liberal Lawfare, as he is focusing on his mission to Make America Great Again.” On the trade front, Trump lauded the “good reports” coming out of London regarding the ongoing talks with Chinese negotiators. On the first point, Lutnick affirmed that U.S. tariffs on China will remain unchanged following these discussions.
While these moves are certainly assertive in the political sphere, Trump’s legal peril still hangs heavy over all of this. He is still liable for sexual assault and defamation against Carroll. Two independent juries have decided that he deserves the blame for his misconduct. Roberta Kaplan, Carroll’s attorney, remarked, “E. Jean Carroll is very pleased with today’s decision,” referencing the latest ruling against Trump.
Trump’s attempts to contest these findings include strategic efforts by his appointed judges, Steven Menashi and Michael Park, who dissented in the case. The 2nd Circuit judges wrote that Trump’s actions had “approved callous departures” from the judiciary’s traditions. These campaigns have not been able to succeed in reversing the juries’ decisions.
The former president also faces scrutiny over his administration’s handling of the Fulbright board, which recently resigned, alleging politicization of scholarship opportunities during Trump’s tenure. Fund managers have been lobbying Congress hard on Section 899. They fear that some of the policies from Trump’s administration might scare a good number of the foreign investors the United States might lose.
As political tensions rise, Speaker Johnson has expressed hope for reconciliation between Trump and Elon Musk following their recent public fallout. There are still negotiations happening around extending that tariff pause to countries negotiating in good faith. Not that this policy isn’t a reflection of Trump’s influence.