Ask E Jean: How a Survivor in Her 80s Is Deconstructing Trump’s Impunity

In a political landscape where the powerful have long weaponized their privilege to evade accountability, one woman’s relentless fight is exposing the systemic failures of justice. Ivy Meeropol’s documentary Ask E Jean follows journalist and former advice columnist E Jean Carroll, now in her 80s, as she battles through an unfinished series of legal disputes against Donald Trump. This is not just a story of individual courage; it is a structural critique of how patriarchy, class, and media complicity enable sexual violence at the highest levels.

Trump has almost succeeded in an insidiously sneaky trick of auto-uncancelling on the #MeToo issue, implying that he is above and beyond and constitutionally exempt, despite being caught on tape boasting of sexual violence. Through a combination of bluster, bad faith, threats, abuse, and the simple fact of being US president, he has flooded the zone on a grander international stage, backed by an aggressive army of online trolls. He has gotten away with it. So far.

But among his accusers, one has so far been successful in two civil suits: E Jean Carroll. Her story, as told by Meeropol, shows remarkable courage and indomitable good humour. Carroll had an uproarious career in New York media in the 80s and 90s, where she was a wisecracking Rosalind Russell-slash-Joan Rivers figure, creating a tough broad persona. She was sometimes less than sympathetic to Paula Jones and Anita Hill in the Bill Clinton and Clarence Thomas cases, a point that underscores the complexity of survivor narratives. Carroll had a TV advice show called Ask E Jean, given to her by the notorious exec Roger Ailes, himself an abuser brought low by #MeToo.

In 2019, inspired by the Weinstein case, Carroll accused Trump of having raped her in 1996 in a changing room of New York’s Bergdorf Goodman department store. They had apparently bumped into each other and had a bantering conversation befitting two New York celebrities. He invited her to help him choose “lingerie” as a present, and Carroll, on a deeply misjudged comic impulse, came along. The rape happened after that.

Carroll did not defend any libel action from Trump. On the contrary, she took out a civil suit against him for sexual assault and then a second for defamation after he made abusive responses, matched by his political base. In this second case, Trump himself appeared in court. The film does not point it out, but this is a reasonably common strategy in such cases to get the woman to fold. But she did not fold. Both juries found in Carroll’s favour, one in the sum of $5m, the next for $83.3m, and the courts have now forced him to pay the first of these.

Elle magazine, which had employed Carroll as its wildly successful agony-aunt advice columnist, lost its nerve when the first lawsuit happened and cancelled her contract. Elle emerges from this film as its second biggest villain, though it is not clear if any of its editors were approached for comment. This media complicity is a classic example of how institutions protect the powerful at the expense of marginalized voices.

The sheer creepiness of Trump is what is so striking. With nauseating contempt, he proclaimed that she “wasn’t his type” as if that airy claim has anything to do with it. Ironically, a photograph of Trump briefly meeting Carroll in the company of his then wife Ivana in 1987 shows that the two women did have a comparable style, although perhaps everyone was influenced by 1980s New York blond brassiness.

The case has undoubtedly taken its toll on Carroll, who is now in her 80s. But she has been tougher than Trump and his lawyers thought. When Trump leaves the White House in 2028, it could be that this issue is not settled. For now, Carroll’s fight is a powerful reminder that even in a system designed to silence survivors, resistance is possible. As activist Tarana Burke once said, “The work of #MeToo is not about one person; it is about dismantling the structures that allow abuse to flourish.” Carroll’s story is a testament to that ongoing struggle.

FAQ

What is the documentary Ask E Jean about?

The documentary follows E Jean Carroll, a journalist and former advice columnist, as she pursues civil lawsuits against Donald Trump for sexual assault and defamation, highlighting the systemic barriers survivors face.

How did Trump respond to Carroll’s accusations?

Trump denied the allegations, claiming Carroll was “not his type,” and used his political platform to attack her. He was found liable in two civil suits, with juries awarding Carroll $5m and $83.3m in damages.

What role did the media play in this case?

Elle magazine cancelled Carroll’s contract after she filed her first lawsuit, reflecting how media institutions often prioritize protecting powerful figures over supporting survivors. The documentary critiques this complicity.

Meta Description

E Jean Carroll, now in her 80s, takes on Trump in a fight that exposes systemic injustice. A Radical Quill analysis of the documentary Ask E Jean and its intersectional critique.