Have you had your fill of the wall-to-wall coverage of Donald Trump? Well, one woman is hoping you still need one more fix of Trump news as she continues on her warpath. Writer and abuse advocate E. Jean Carroll is shopping a very personal documentary, the exposé fueled by an assault that happened in the mid-’90s. That event, as two civil cases ruled, resulted in the current US President forking over a fortune. She boasts that the film, Ask E Jean, is so damaging that it will finally annihilate Trump’s cult of personality and reshape American political discourse.
Directed by Ivy Meeropol, Ask E Jean has already debuted at the Telluride Film Festival, although anti-Trump films often struggle to attract studio backing. Despite her optimism, political documentaries often fail to achieve the impact their creators intend. A quick survey of the most popular political docs released lately suggests failure in her bid to disrupt and dismantle the MAGA empire. Attracting buyers will be difficult enough; changing minds will be harder.
Who Is E. Jean Carroll?
The incident leading to Carroll’s case against Trump dates back to the ’90s, asserting that the millionaire real-estate tycoon groped her in a changing room. She revealed the details of the alleged encounter after Trump won the presidency. In 2019, President Trump began attacking the writer publicly, refuting her claims as slander to sell a book, and denied that he had any contact whatsoever in 1995 or ’96, when Carroll stated the crime transpired. After Trump left office, she brought him to court in two separate civil trials — one for defamation, one for sexual abuse — that ultimately awarded her $83.3 million in restitution. The case has dragged on for years, with Trump’s appeal recently rejected in court, according to The New York Times.
We must stress that Donald Trump, a civilian when found liable (guilty/innocent doesn’t apply in civil disputes) in the New York District Court civil trial, was never convicted of rape in a criminal court. The verdict only pertained to the defamation and assault cases, per Newsweek. That legal distinction is crucial, as it cost ABC News’ parent company, The Walt Disney Co., $16 million in its own defamation defeat. The drama continues, the trial inspiring a recreation-style documentary starring Kathryn Hahn. That’s hardly the end of the Carroll vs. Trump grudge match. Trump accuser E. Jean Carroll wants to tell her side of the story, and she’s hellbent on finishing the job she started in a NYC courtroom.
“A Natural Progression To Finish Trump Off”
Completed but unreleased, Carroll told Variety that Ask E Jean is a labor of love, and part of “a natural progression to finish Trump off” that started with Meeropol’s earlier film about Trump’s mentor, Roy Cohn. In an interview, Carroll announced that she would utilize never-before-seen court footage from her deposition, which is sure to set the news channels ablaze. That is, if it ever comes out. Carroll admits to feeling “fearful and anxious and worried” by the current deferential climate toward Trump. Director Meeropol states that the documentary will focus on other alleged victims of Trump to paint a larger picture of a habitual offender who respects no moral or legal boundaries:
“I did not make this to focus purely on the assault. I wanted to tell E. Jean’s whole story, which helps people understand how this could have happened – as opposed to people writing it off. Surprisingly, there are many progressives who don’t actually believe what happened.”
There’s one huge problem. Make that two; we’ll cover the second matter shortly. Carroll and Meeropol are yet to lure in any takers. In the absence of a large distributor, attracting eyeballs would be much more difficult. We’re still not sure if she is aiming for a theatrical release, but a streaming deal seems a more realistic route to settle for. Maybe don’t count on Prime Video inking that deal. Watching Amazon’s Melania Trump puff piece and Carroll’s gruesome tell-all back-to-back would be some Formula One-grade whiplash.
We’ll Spoil the Movie Before It Releases
What are her chances of actually toppling Trump from his lofty throne atop world politics? They’re certainly slim. Based on Michael Moore’s 2004 hit Fahrenheit 9/11 and Al Gore’s 2006 documentary An Inconvenient Truth, the best intentions, even when bolstered by slick production values and recognizable personalities, have not always had an excellent track record of effecting meaningful change in US politics.
Despite Michael Moore’s acclaimed career and devoted following, his documentaries have achieved greater success in sparking conversation than in driving lasting policy change on issues like gun violence, healthcare access, and the outsourcing of American manufacturing. Not to be outdone, Steve Bannon’s fawning Sarah Palin documentary, The Undefeated, is so comical it might as well come with a laugh track. Alex Jones’ The Obama Deception, likewise, was a flop that failed to prevent Barack Obama’s 2012 re-election.
That’s not to say documentaries aren’t a powerful tool. Blackfish is a wonderful example of the weaponized power of information. Politics? That’s a lot trickier, especially when tribalism, hero worship, and identities are at stake, whatever your political affiliation. A jury might have been impressed by Carroll, but don’t expect her Trump takedown to win over doubters. Regardless of one’s opinion of Trump, he has largely remained immune to such criticism, with a loyal following who have already made up their minds.
