Columnist E. Jean Carroll made the rounds Monday across the liberal media in a victory lap following her legal win against former President Trump in civil assault and defamation suits. And during a Monday appearance on MSNBC’s The Rachel Maddow Show, she offered to spend some of the $83.3 million she was awarded on supporting women’s rights; such as “new shoes,” a “penthouse,” and a luxury fishing trip in France for Maddow.
Before she got to fantasizing about going on a personal “shopping” spree with Maddow, Carroll put on a more somber tone as she opined about how her case was about “turning our eyes to the future and taking back our rights.”
“Well, we're fighting not really, Rachel, for me. It's now about fighting for all women. We're also fighting, and we salute the women and men who’ve been assaulted and who did not survive,” she said.
She added: “We are doing this for women around the country who have been knocked down repeatedly and – So, it's really not about me anymore. We have moved beyond me. And as you say, the fight now is really to take back our future.”
Maddow wanted to know how Carroll was going to achieve that stated goal of helping victimized women across the country. “You've talked about using some of Trump's money that you're about to get to help shore up women's rights. Do you know what that might be, what that might look like?” she wondered.
Instead of explaining how she was going to help other women, Carroll launched into offering to pay for the two of them to go get “new wardrobes” and how she was going to buy luxury items for her lawyers:
I have such, such great ideas for all the good I'm going to do with this money. First thing, Rachel, you and I are going to go shopping. We're going to get completely new wardrobes, new shoes, a motorcycle for Crowley, a new fishing rod for Robbie. Rachel, what do you want? Penthouse? It's yours, Rachel!
With Maddow saying she didn’t need any of that, Carroll also offered Maddow a trip to France for her to go fishing (Maddow’s favorite hobby):
CARROLL: Penthouse and France? You want France? You want to go fishing in France?
MADDOW [Laughing, shaking her head]: No.
CARROLL: No? All right, all right.
Seemingly aware of how bad the optics of the interaction were, one of Carroll’s lawyers, Shawn Crowley interjected to say, “That's a joke.”
“Although, if me fishing in France could do something for women's rights, I would take the hit. You know, I would obviously take one for the team,” Maddow quipped in return. “I would too,” Carroll’s other lawyer, Roberta Kaplan laughed.
This was just another example of a bizarre media appearance from Carroll. In a 2019 appearance with CNN’s Anderson Cooper, she asserted that “most people think of rape as being sexy” and “They think of the fantasies.” And as Cooper quickly went to a commercial, she told him, “You’re fascinating to talk to.”
The transcript is below. Click "expand" to read:
MSNBC’s The Rachel Maddow Show
January 29, 2024
9:33:18 p.m. Eastern(…)
E. JEAN CARROLL: Well, we're fighting not really, Rachel, for me. It's now about fighting for all women. We're also fighting, and we salute the women and men who’ve been assaulted and who did not survive. We are doing this for women around the country who have been knocked down repeatedly and – So, it's really not about me anymore. We have moved beyond me. And as you say, the fight now is really to take back our future.
This is a man who stacked the Supreme Court, took away women's rights over their own bodies. We would like to be a part of turning our eyes to the future and taking back our rights.
RACHEL MADDOW: You've talked about using some of Trump's money that you're about to get to help shore up women's rights. Do you know what that might be, what that might look like?
CARROLL: Yes, Rachel, yes!
MADDOW: Tell me.
CARROLL: I have such, such great ideas for all the good I'm going to do with this money. First thing, Rachel, you and I are going to go shopping. We're going get completely new wardrobes, new shoes, a motorcycle for Crowley, new fishing rod for Robbie. Rachel, what do you want? Penthouse? It's yours, Rachel!
MADDOW [Laughing, shaking her head]: Nothing.
CARROLL: Penthouse and France? You want France? You want to go fishing in France?
MADDOW [Laughing, shaking her head]: No.
CARROLL: No? All right, all right.
SHAWN CROWLEY (lawyer): That's a joke.
[Laugher]
MADDOW: Although, if me fishing in France could do something for women's rights, I would take the hit. You know, I would obviously take one for the team. All right.
ROBERTA KAPLAN (Lawyer): I would too.
MADDOW [Laughing]: As if you need persuasion in that regard.
(…)
