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- [00:15]
Amy Goodman
From New York. This is Democracy now.
- [00:18]
Taha Hussain
My community is mourning. This is something that we have never expected to take place. But at the same time, the religious intolerance and the hate in 14, unfortunately that exists in our nation is unprecedented.
- [00:36]
Amy Goodman
In California, two teenage gunmen attacked the Islamic center of San Diego Monday, killing three people in what authorities are saying was a suspected hate crime. The center housed both a mosque and a school. We'll get the latest. Plus, we go to Minneapolis, where state officials have charged an ICE agent with shooting a Venezuelan immigrant, then falsely reporting what happened. We'll also look at a new documentary about E. Jean Carroll, who successfully sued Donald Trump twice in federal court. He was found guilty, civilly liable for sexual abuse and defamation. If you were concerned about being dragged through the mud, why would you choose to sue Donald Trump?
- [01:32]
E. Jean Carroll
Because he called me a liar and I couldn't let it stand. I called you right after the attack.
- [01:39]
Lisa Birnbach
I was very disappointed that you wouldn't report him.
- [01:42]
E. Jean Carroll
They never would have believed me.
- [01:45]
Amy Goodman
We'll speak to filmmaker Ivy Miracle, director of the new film Ask E. Jean. All that and more coming up. Welcome to Democracy Now. Democracynow.org, the War and Peace Report. AMY. I'm Amy Goodman. President Trump said Monday he postponed an imminent US Attack on Iran at the request of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Trump's reversal came after he repeatedly threatened to launch new strikes, warning Iran there won't be anything left of them.
- [02:28]
Donald Trump
We were getting ready to do a very major attack tomorrow. I put it off for a little while, hopefully, maybe forever, but possibly for a little while, because we've had very big discussions with Iran and we'll see what they amount to.
- [02:42]
Amy Goodman
It's not clear whether there have been any breakthroughs in stall talks to end the US And Israeli war on Iran. Iranian negotiators continue to demand an end to the US Naval blockade of Iran's ports, the release of Iran's frozen assets, and the lifting of international sanctions. Iran's foreign Ministry said it remains skeptical after President Trump twice ordered attacks on Iran while negotiations were underway. We approach every diplomatic process with deep distrust and serious skepticism in order to safeguard the national interests of Iran. Iran is aware that given the U.S. s track record of undermining negotiations, it might repeat the same actions at any moment. The Trump administration's imposed a U.S. entry ban on foreigners who've traveled in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, or South Sudan in the past three weeks. The order came as the World Health Organization said an outbreak of Ebola virus in the DRC in Uganda has reached 500 suspected cases and 130 suspected deaths, with those numbers expected to rise. This is the who's Director General Tedros Adnan Ghabirazis. I'm deeply concerned about the scale and
- [04:04]
Ivy Meeropol
speed of the epidemic.
- [04:07]
Amy Goodman
The WHO says the DRC will open three Ebola treatment centers in the eastern Ituri province where the outbreak began. Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease control says a U.S. doctor tested positive for Ebola after working with a medical missionary group in Congo. Dr. Peter Stafford was exposed to the virus while treating patients in the capital of Ituri Province. He's been evacuated to Germany for treatment. To see our interview with Dr. Craig Spencer, who was positive for Ebola virus about a decade ago, but now is critiquing US policy on Ebola and other viruseswe go to democracynow.org, israeli forces are continuing to intercept ships with a Gaza bound humanitarian aid flotilla off the coast of Cyprus. More than 50 ships with a global smooth flow flotilla set sail from the Turkish port city of Marmaris last week. According to organizers, Israeli forces have intercepted 41 of their boats in the eastern Mediterranean, about 250nautical miles from Gaza, which is under an Israeli maritime blockade. Video shows armed Israeli commandos climbing onto boats. 337 activists have been taken into custody. 10 boats are still sailing towards Gaza. Meanwhile, thousands of protesters took to the streets in Italy and Greece in solidarity with the Gaza activists. As world leaders condemned the Israeli raid, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim wrote on social media, quote, the world cannot continue to bow to tyranny and corruption. The oppression against Palestinians and those who mobilize and deliver humanitarian aid must be stopped immediately and Israel must face justice and accountability, he said. This is Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
- [06:03]
San Diego Police Chief Scott Wall
I curse in the strongest terms this act of piracy and banditry against the passengers of hope on the Samud flotilla compromised of citizens of 40 different countries. We are taking the necessary steps to ensure the safe return of our citizens on the flotilla. We call on the international community to take action against Israel's lawless and rule breaking actions.
- [06:25]
Amy Goodman
In California, two teenage attackers fatally shot three people on Monday at the Islamic center of San Diego, the largest mosque in San Diego County. Among the dead was a security guard, Amin Abdullah, a father of eight, who police said played a pivotal role in saving children's lives. The suspects, aged 17 and 19, were found dead from apparent self inflicted gunshot wounds in a car near the scene. Police are investigating the attack as a hate crime. Law enforcement officials told CNN hate speech was scrawled on one of the weapons. A suicide note that contained writings about racial pride was also found, according to the officials. Cair, the Council on American Islamic Relations noted the attack comes as anti Muslim bias complaints reach their highest level on record last year with 8,683 complaints filed nationwide. This is Taha Hussain, the imam and director of the Islamic center of San Diego.
- [07:35]
Taha Hussain
My community is mourning. This is something that we have never expected to take place. But at the same time the religious intolerance and the hate, unfortunately that exists in our nation is unprecedented.
- [07:54]
Amy Goodman
After Headlines, we'll be speaking with Linda Sarsour in Minnesota, prosecutors have filed criminal charges against an ICE officer who allegedly shot a Venezuelan immigrant in north Minneapolis during an immigration raid in January. Lied about what happened On Monday, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty announced federal agent Christian Castro will face four counts of second degree assaults and one count of falsely reporting a crime.
- [08:24]
Mary Moriarty
Counts of assault are a result of Mr. Castro shooting through the front door of a residence with the intent to cause fear of immediate bodily harm or death to the four adults who were just inside the door. These charges have activated a nationwide warrant for his arrest.
- [08:44]
Amy Goodman
Venezuelan immigrant Julio Sosacelles suffered a leg wound when Castro allegedly shot him through the door. The Trump administration initially claimed that Castro fired in self defense after accusing Sosacelles and another man of beating an officer with a broom handle and snow shovel. A federal judge later dismissed those charges after video evidence clearly contradicted it. This comes as Hennepin county prosecutors continue to investigate the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents during the Trump administration's violent immig enforcement campaign known as Operation Metro Surge. We'll go to Minneapolis later in the broadcast. A new report finds more than 100,000 children in the US have had a parent detained since the Trump administration began its mass deportation campaign last year. That's far more than under President Trump's first term and more than double the number of family separations that would be projected using government data. The finding comes from a Brookings Institution study that estimates some 400,000 people have been booked into ICE jails since January of last year. The Justice Department announced Monday it'll create a $1.776 billion fund to make payments to Trump supporters who say they were wrongly investigated or prosecuted by previous administrations. The so called anti weaponization fund would be overseen by five commissioners, four of whom would be appointed by the Attorney General to serve at the ple of the president. The announcement came as part of a settlement agreement between President Trump and his own administration. After Trump, his sons and their family business sued the IRS for over $10 billion over the leak of Trump's tax returns by an IRS worker Following Monday's announcement, the Treasury Department's top lawyer resigned. Brian Morrissey leaves his post just seven months after his Senate confirmation. He did not respond to reporters requests for comment. Democrats have accused Trump of creating a slush fund for his MAGA allies, including insurrectionists who joined the January 6 riot at the US Capitol. On Monday, 93 Democratic lawmakers filed an amicus brief in federal court seeking to block the fund. Virginia Congressmember Don Beyer wrote, quote, he's just stealing your money. There's no transparency. We won't know who gets paid or how much. It's illegal and corrupt as hell. We're fighting it in court, congressmember Beyer said. The EPA proposed Monday to kill drinking water limits for four so called forever chemicals set by the Biden administration in 2024. The EPA said it will keep limits on PFOA and pfos, the two most widely studied PFAS compounds, but will allow some water utilities to extend their compliance deadline from 2029 to 2031. The rollbacks could delay or eliminate drinking water protections for up to 105 million people. PFAS have been linked to cancer, thyroid disease, liver damage, decreased fertility and immune system damage in Katherine o', Brien, senior attorney at Earthjustice, said, quote, this move only underscores that the Trump administration' SMAHA rhetoric that's Make America Healthy again is just thatempty rhetoric and it will leave children and families to bear the cost of continued drinking water contamination, unquote. Here in New York, Long Island Railroad strike ended Monday night after the MTA and five unions reached a tentative agreement ending a three day work stoppage that paralyzed the largest commuter rail system in the United States. Over the weekend, 3,500 unionized workers walked off the job for the first LIRR strike in over 30 years. The deal still needs to be ratified by members of the five unions. If rejected, the strike could resume and New York City Mayor Zoran Mamdani announced Monday the city's first municipally owned grocery store will open in the Hunts Point section of the South Bronx next year. The 20,000 square foot store will be located inside the Peninsula, an affordable, affordable housing and mixed use development. The plan is part of a broader $70 million initiative to open one city owned store in each of the five boroughs. Under the proposal, the stores would pay no rent or property taxes, keeping overhead costs low. The plan still requires city council approval. This is Mayor Mamdani.
- [13:51]
New York City Mayor Eric Adams
Standing here this morning, I cannot help but think of the words of our 40th president, Ronald Reagan. He famously said the nine most terrifying words in the English langu or I'm from the government and I'm here to help. It's a good quote, but I disagree. I think nine more terrifying words are actually I worked all day and can't feed my family. We are going to use the power of government to lower prices and make it easier for New Yorkers to put food on the table.
- [14:24]
Amy Goodman
And those are some of the headlines. This is democracy now, democracynow.org, the war and Peace Report. I'm Amy Goodman. In California, two teenage gunmen fatally shot three people on Monday at the Islamic center of San Diego, the largest mosque in San Diego County. Among the dead was a security guard now identified as Amin Abdullah, a father of eight, who police say played a pivotal role in saving lives, particularly children's lives. The suspects, aged 17 and 19, were found dead from apparent self inflicted gunshot wounds in a car near the scene. Police are investigating the attack as a hate crime. Law enforcement officials told CNN hate speech was scrawled on one of the weapons. A suicide note that contained writings about racial pride was also found, according to officials. CAIR the Council on American Islamic Relations noted the attack comes as anti Muslim bias complaints reach highest level on record with 8,683 complaints filed nationwide. This is Tahha Hussain, the imam and director of the Islamic center of San Diego.
- [15:42]
Taha Hussain
My community is mourning. This is something that we have never expected to take place. But at the same time, the religious intolerance and the hate, unfortunately that exists in our nation is unprecedented. All of us, we are responsible for spreading the culture of tolerance, the culture of love. All of us we are responsible from whatever position we have as parents, as media people, as elected officials, as law enforcement, as religious leaders, all of us, we can do something to protect our nation, to protect our society. And please, I have one request to the media. Stop sharing the picture of the victims. Let the families mourn. Let them pray as we do always at the Islamic center of San Diego. No, it's a house of worship. It's not a battlefield. Come on. People come to the mosque to pray, to socialize, to celebrate, to enjoy their time together. Muslims and non Muslims alike. Everyone have been always welcomed. Our doors are always welcomed. We never ask people when they show up the at at the door of the Islamic Center. We never ask them whether you are A Muslim or not, who are you? Because everyone is welcome. So let's do our best to spread this culture of love and tolerance and sympathy for the sake of this nation, for the sake of the future generation.
- [17:36]
Amy Goodman
That was Taha Hussain, the imam and director of the Islamic center of San Diego attacked on Monday. Police said they'd begun a search for the two teenage gunmen two hours before the attack, after the mother of one of the shooters called police. This is San Diego Police Chief Scott Wall.
- [17:58]
San Diego Police Chief Scott Wall
She believed her son was suicidal and she began to share information that several of her weapons were missing, her vehicle was missing. In addition to her son, she also said that she was her son was with a companion and that they were dressed in camo. And that is not consistent with what we would typically see from somebody that is suicidal.
- [18:40]
Amy Goodman
That's the San Diego police chief. We're joined now by Linda Sarsour, Palestinian American Muslim organizer, friend of the Imam at the Islamic center of San Diego, author of We Are Not Here to Be Bystanders and co founder of Empower Action Fund. Linda, thanks so much for joining us again. But under these incredibly sad circumstances, the guard has just been named who was killed by the gunmen. The gunmen themselves apparently dead of self inflicted wounds. Can you talk about what you heard yesterday in your reaction as it was unfolding? You are a friend of the imam.
- [19:19]
Linda Sarsour
I immediately saw a tweet on X that said that there was a shooting at the Islamic center of San Diego and I immediately texted Imam Tahaa Hussain, who's an old friend of mine and I said are you okay? And he immediately called me back and said that we are in a lockdown right now. There's been an active shooting. At that moment. He had not known about all the fatalities, but they did know about Brother Amin Abdullah who was the armed security guard of the mosque and a father of eight and a wonderful, incredible human being that I also had the honor and privilege of meeting myself. There are also two other adult males that were also killed in the shooting. One of them is Brother Mansoor, also known as Abul Iz. He is an elder, a caretaker of the mosque, also was running the Islamic bookstore at the mosque and just a beloved kind of uncle in the community. Another one is Brother Nadid. Brother Naded is a neighbor of the mosque, a congregant, someone who is heavily involved in the mosque itself. It's just a very devastating experience. There is also over about 200 kids in a pre K to third grade Islamic school that is a part of the Islamic center of San Diego, who are also on lockdown, hiding under, excuse
- [20:30]
Amy Goodman
me,
- [20:34]
Linda Sarsour
Hiding under desks and closets. And if it wasn't for brother Amin, Abdullah and these brothers that came out to put their bodies on the line, we could have had many more fatalities. And many of them could have been small children in this country. So even though the children are safe, thank God they are forever going to live with this trauma of knowing that their mosque was attacked because they were Muslims.
- [20:58]
Amy Goodman
I was watching as parents wept, also talking about how Amin had saved their children, that the kids, the first thing they look forward to going to school in the morning is seeing him there.
- [21:13]
Linda Sarsour
That's right. That's who he was, and this was his job. As a matter of fact, a few days before this horrific shooting, he had made a post on social media, on Facebook, and said something like, a lot of people look for fame. They look for financial stability. They look kind of for the worldly things. But for him, he just wanted to be a good Muslim, and he wanted to meet his Lord as pure as he was when he was a baby. And that is his last message that people saw on social media. Imam Taha, also the director of the Islamic center, who was in the building when this happened, he was on the second floor, is an incredible ally. He's someone who is very well known in the immigrant rights movement, in the San Diego economic justice movement. He's often at many rallies. This is a mosque that has opened its doors to the community. They literally have open Mosque Day, where anyone in the community can show up to the mosque and they are openedthey are welcomed with open arms. They have film screenings. They do like community events. They do festivals. This is the epitome of a mosque that shows our true values as Muslims, in community and in solidarity. So it's just devastating, and no house of worship should have to ever experience this.
- [22:25]
Amy Goodman
You were with Imam Taha Hussein just a few weeks ago.
- [22:30]
Linda Sarsour
Imam Taha is a national leader. He is part of many of the movement work that I do. He's someone that we go to as an Islamic scholar to help guide us through the social justice and work that we do. And we were in Dearborn just, you know, a few weeks ago. He was there as a mentor to many Muslim organizers in this country. And he's someone that I've spoken on many panels with. We do the Muslim Student association conference in California. Just someone who's always at the right place at the right time and very encouraging of women leadership in our community, of youth leadership in our community. And so it's just devastating to see that his mosque was targeted. As someone who has poured so much into our community and movements,
- [23:15]
Ivy Meeropol
can you
- [23:16]
Amy Goodman
talk about what you understand? The mom of one of the alleged shooters, Cain Clark was I believe, 17. He was with Caleb Vazquez. These two now dead teenagers have been identified. How the mom got in touch with the police hours before. I think she had a cache of weapons, but she saw her guns gone and her car gone and her kid was dressed in camo with the ammo. And as the, the mayor, as the police chief said, even though he had left a suicide note, that is highly suspect when they're putting on camo, obviously.
- [23:58]
Linda Sarsour
I mean, we can't deny, Amy, that there's been increased political rhetoric against Muslims in this country and the ways in which Muslims are treated even after this horrific shooting. Right wing MAGA accounts, some of them verified, some of them high profile, have begun conspiracy theories or have actually blamed the mosque itself for their own shooting that happened there. It is absolutely horrific to see the ways in which elected officials anywhere from Randy Fine to the members of Congress who have started this, what they call the Sharia Free Caucus, people are not held accountable for their anti Muslim hate. We are anti Muslim hate is one of the few types of bigotry in this country that is acceptable. You don't lose your job, there's no consequences for it.
- [24:39]
Woman disrupting Mayor's news conference
It.
- [24:40]
Linda Sarsour
And here comes a 17 year old who is probably brought into all this propaganda. He's wrote a suicide note. The officials are saying that there was hate rhetoric scrolled on the weapons, which also tells me how long were your guns missing? How long did it take him to scroll, you know, hateful rhetoric on guns? Also, how is the mother storing her guns? Did you just leave them around? Was there no key? Was there no way for this to be protected so that your child does not go out and kill innocent people at a mosque. So there's something very, you know, strange that's happening here. But I will say this about the 17 year old and also a 19 year old. I'm sad, Amy, for them, I really am sad. They're too young for this type of hate. And the fact that it drove them to the point where they went to a mosque and they shot innocent people and could have shot children. I mean, the fact that there's an Islamic school, if it wasn't for brother Amin and the brothers that interfered, we literally could have had dozens of children who would have been literally shot and killed. And the thing is, we've seen this before. We saw it in Sandy Hook we saw it in Uvalde. And so for me, I'm just like, it's an issue around let's end this anti Muslim hate. Let's make sure that there are consequences for people who propagate this hate, for media outlets who propagate this hate. And also let's get some sensible gun reform. How did this mother get, were they registered guns? How was she storing them at home? How did your son wear, where did your son get cameo from? Like wearingi mean the whole thing just is. Justit just seems likeit just doesn't make sense.
- [26:11]
Amy Goodman
During a televised news conference on Monday, a woman disrupted the news conference just as San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria was beginning to speak. She accused him of emboldening what she called Zionist propaganda.
- [26:29]
Emilio Gonzalez Avalos
Thank you.
- [26:31]
Woman disrupting Mayor's news conference
Direct result, your leadership, your leadership. Our Muslim brothers and sisters have been talking to you for how long? You have to listen to them, Todd, just like you did the nights. It's true hate speak. Cold in science propaganda hate speak. And you'll keep doing it as long as it minds a copy.
- [26:53]
Amy Goodman
So after that the mayor began speaking, but she referred to him as Todd, which was his first name. Linda Sarsour. I don't know if you could what she was saying, but if you could
- [27:04]
Linda Sarsour
respond, she was saying basically to him that this is, that you're part of the problem, that this is because you've emboldened this hateful rhetoric like she was basically holding him accountable. Mayor Todd in the course of genocide has condemned Palestinian organizers, he condemned Palestinian students. He would never show up to any events led by Palestinian American or Muslims that were related to the genocide in Gaza. And he continued to vilify folks that organized around the genocide. And he is someone who has aligned himself with right wing Zionists and others. So I think again, who you ally with as a leader of a city, right, Like San Diego tells me where you stand. If you're going to be willing to stand with people who are condemning vilifying, dehumanizing people who are standing up for justice for the Palestinian people, then you're part of the larger problem that we have here, which is reaffirming anti Muslim, anti Palestinian and anti Arab hate. Hey, you know this, Amy. In this country people don't know the difference between a Muslim Arab or a Palestinian. And that's the problem here. And so all these things are conflated in the past. This mosque has been targeted during genocide by right wing media. There was a New York Post article that just literally got published yesterday after horrific shooting that basically said the shooting that happened at an Islamic center with a history of controversy. Like, instead of reporting the news, they're telling us that there's a controversial mosque here. What does that have to do with what is happening to these people?
- [28:32]
Amy Goodman
The far right political activist Trump ally Lara Loomer posted a message on Exxon Monday reading the mosque that was, quote, unquote, supposedly shot up today. Just remember, the people who attend this mosque want us all to be killed. We will be told they are such amazing people. I'm not advocating for violence. I condemn violence. I'm showing you how evil this mosque is and always has been. It should be raided by ICE and the FBI, she tweeted. In a follow up tweet, Laura Loomer called for the DHS to, quote, deport every Muslim in America back to the Middle east, end quote. Your response, Linda.
- [29:16]
Linda Sarsour
And this is exactly what's across the entire Internet. This is the conspiracy theories blaming us for the tragic and horrific shooting that has happened at this mosque. And this is the kind of rhetoric that's acceptable. No one else, Amy, would be able to say something like Laura Loomer about any other religious community. Again, for us, it's acceptable. Her posts won't get taken down. There will be no consequences for a Laura Loomer. But here we have three adult men beloved in their community in an incredible mosque where their neighbors love them. There are people that have come out and spoken about them, pastors, rabbis, those that have visited this mosque and know that this mosque is a community center. It's a beloved place. I've been there so many times, Amy. It's so incred. It's one of the most diverse mosques in all of America, from the African continent, from South Asia, from the Arab world, from converts in the United States of America to Latino Muslims. They have Spanish speaking programs. I mean, it's just an incredibly beautiful place. They welcome the formerly incarcerated. This is the kind of people that they are. Imam Taha is one of the most incredible leaders we have in this country. And it's just despicable that we allow this kind of rhetoric, especially after a horrific shooting.
- [30:23]
Amy Goodman
Linda Sarsour, Palestinian American Muslim organizer, author of We Are Not Here to Be Bystanders. She's also co founder of Empower Action Fund. Coming up, a new documentary on E. Jean Carroll. She successfully sued Donald Trump twice in federal court. He was found civilly liable for sexual abuse and defamation. We'll speak with the director, Ivy Miropol. Stay with us. Women of the World by Amadou and Mariam in our democracy NOW studio. This is Democracy Now. Democracynow.org I'm Amy Gretchen will the Supreme Court let two verdicts against President Trump stand for the sexual abuse and defamation of writer E. Jean Carroll? In 2019, E. Jean Carroll published her memoir, what Do We Need Men For? In which she described an encounter in the 1990s when President Trump, she said, sexually assaulted her in a department store dressing room at Bergdorf Goodman. At the time, she was a well known advice columnist and host of her own TV show. When President Trump denied the account, E. Jean Carol sued him and won. A unanimous New York jury found Donald Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation and awarded e. Jean Carroll $5 million in damages. President Trump then denied knowing Carroll Carroll and called her a whack job on cnn. E. Jean Carroll then sued him again for defamation. A second jury, also unanimous, awarded her $83.3 million. But she has yet to see a penny. Federal courts upheld both verdicts, but now President Trump's attorneys are asking the Supreme Court to overturn that them asserting the President has absolute immunity for comments he makes as president. The Department of Justice has submitted a filing to the Supreme Court backing the President's argument. Trump's attorneys have also sought to invoke a federal statute to swap the President out as defendant and have the US Government take his place, which would essentially nullify the verdicts as the federal government can't be sued for defamation. The verdict is on pause until the Supreme Court either reviews the two cases or decides to pass. The 2nd U.S. circuit Court of Appeals conditioned the stay on President Trump, posting a bond of nearly $100 million. Well, a new documentary goes through all of this and more. It's called Ask E. Jean Carroll. The film is directed and produced by the award winning filmmaker, Ivy Meeropol. Her past films include Heir to an Execution, a documentary about her grandparents, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, who were executed at Sing sing in the 1950s. In a moment, we'll be joined by Ivy Meeropol. But first, this is the trailer for Ask E. Jean.
- [34:54]
E. Jean Carroll
There's no such thing as destiny. Dear listener, we ourselves make our lives all the time. I'm writing, writing, writing, and then I write this little quiz and Esquire buys it. I got one taste of New York and I thought, wow, I was as happy a being as ever existed. All my dreams were about becoming an advice columnist. And then Roger Ailes gave me my own TV show.
- [35:24]
Ivy Meeropol
You don't really care who comments on
- [35:26]
New York City Mayor Eric Adams
anything because you comment on everything.
- [35:30]
Amy Goodman
If you were concerned about being dragged through the mud why would you choose to sue Donald Trump?
- [35:37]
E. Jean Carroll
Because he called me a liar and I couldn't let it stand. I called you right after the attack.
- [35:44]
Lisa Birnbach
I was very disappointed that you wouldn't report him.
- [35:47]
E. Jean Carroll
They never would have believed me.
- [35:49]
Lisa Birnbach
You were more famous than he was.
- [35:52]
E. Jean Carroll
Here comes this huge attorney, Robby Kaplan. She laid out the case. If women could see what kind of questions their fellow woman is asked when she brings charges against a powerful man.
- [36:05]
Amy Goodman
Were you wearing underwear? Did you wear a bra? Are you taking any medications with drugs? Have you ever had acting classes?
- [36:11]
New York City Mayor Eric Adams
No.
- [36:15]
Emilio Gonzalez Avalos
There was some darkness coming in.
- [36:18]
E. Jean Carroll
We were prepping for the second trial and Robbie said, the man you have not seen in 30 years is going to be in that courtroom.
- [36:26]
Amy Goodman
Did you?
- [36:26]
E. Jean Carroll
Carroll had the guts to face him down twice. I am thinking of getting a toaster.
- [36:38]
Amy Goodman
The trailer for the new documentary Ask E. Jean, out this weekend at New York's IFC center and will be coming out in Los Angeles as well. We're joined now by the award winning filmmaker Ivy Meeropol from Cold Spring, New York. Ivy, thanks so much for joining us. It might surprise people that thesei was going to say this case, but these cases continue and they are now sitting at the Supreme Court. Explain these verdicts and the amount of money that Eu Jean could see, nearly $90 million from President Trump.
- [37:20]
Ivy Meeropol
Well, hi, Amy. Thanks for having me. So E. Jean, in the first case, she was awarded $5 million. Then she was awarded the massive, you know, amount of 83.5. And that was specifically had to do with the amount of defamation that continued to, you know, rain down on her from President Trump, but also that activated so many of his followers to really threaten her, you know, violently. So sheso the 83 million was the jury saying, you know, it has to be a very large number to make it stop. Both of those cases are now at the doors of the Supreme Court. I honestly can't speculate on what's going to happen there, but I can say that they have it'. Sthere. I think at this point, maybe there's been about 10 or 11 weeks, maybe more, where they could have decided at least to hear or deny cert to the first case. And they just keep kind of bumping it down the road.
- [38:32]
Amy Goodman
And the first case, the $5 million, explain exactly what that was about.
- [38:40]
Ivy Meeropol
Well, so the 5 million had to do with the sexual assault and defamation. So what E. Jean was able to do is when the Adult Survivors act was passed in New York, it allowed for a one year window for victims of sexual assault, rape to file lawsuits from any time in their lives. They had that year window, and Eugene was the first one to file that case. She had already filed a defamatory lawsuit against Donald Trump because he, in his
- [39:23]
Amy Goodman
first
- [39:26]
Ivy Meeropol
term, had defamed her from the White House lawn and was attacking her regularly. So that had been filed. But then when the Adult Survivors act gave her the opportunity to bring the case of sexual assault, she did so. So that's the first case.
- [39:42]
Amy Goodman
I want to play a clip from the film which shows the start of E. Jean Carroll's deposition in which she is questioned by President Trump's personal attorney, Elena Habba. Raise your right hand, please. Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
- [40:03]
E. Jean Carroll
So help me God, I do.
- [40:05]
Taha Hussain
Thank you.
- [40:07]
Amy Goodman
Good morning. Thank you for being here.
- [40:09]
E. Jean Carroll
How do you do?
- [40:10]
Amy Goodman
I'm okay.
- [40:11]
Ivy Meeropol
My name is Alina Haba.
- [40:13]
Amy Goodman
I'm sure you know that I represent the former President Donald Trump. Have you ever been deposed?
- [40:18]
E. Jean Carroll
Never.
- [40:19]
Amy Goodman
Okay, so let's go over some ground rules. First of all, you're under oath, so that means you must testify truthfully and honestly and accurately to the best of your ability. Are you ready to start?
- [40:32]
Linda Sarsour
Is that a yes?
- [40:33]
E. Jean Carroll
That's a yes. Giddy up.
- [40:34]
Linda Sarsour
Ok.
- [40:36]
E. Jean Carroll
If women could see what kind of questions their fellow woman is asked when she brings charges of rape against a powerful man, it would stop a racehorse. It is really quite stunning.
- [40:53]
Amy Goodman
Okay, I am going to switch into the complaint. Do you remember what the temperature was outside?
- [41:02]
E. Jean Carroll
Yes.
- [41:04]
Amy Goodman
Clear and cool.
- [41:07]
E. Jean Carroll
Lish.
- [41:09]
Amy Goodman
So that was a clip from the deposition that's in Ivy Meeropol's film Ask Eugene, and she was being questioned by Elina Habba, President Trump's attorney. She just stepped down as the top federal prosecutor in New Jersey following an appeals court ruling that found she was unlawfully serving in that role. Just a little background on Elena Haba, but E. Jean Carroll, we heard the deposition. And then a clip of an interview with her talking about what women face when they make accusations about sexual abuse. Today. Ivy.
- [41:45]
Ivy Meeropol
Yeah, so. Excuse me. So I just want to first say that this is an incredible opportunity for audiences to see what really goes on when a woman brings a case like this, especially against a powerful man. But any man, really, that if you make it all the way to being deposed or sitting in the courtroom, you are going to be subjected to this kind of questioning. And when you watch the whole film, you see that it's relentless and it goes on. So these depositions were private. You know, they were not entered into evidence. And so they never were made public. And attorney Robbie Kaplan and E. Jean gave them to me as an incredible gift for this film and for the world to see this and to experience what Eugene experienced. But the other part is, and I love, you know, the start of it, because it just captures Eugene, who she is, so beautifully, because right at the top, you see, she takes it very seriously that she's under oath. And then she doesn't realize that she has to speak the word yes. When Alina Habba asks her the last question, and she saidare you ready? And Eugene just nods. And then when Alina Habba presses her, she says yes. Giddy up. That's like. I mean, I love it. It's like the mantra for Eugene's life and for what Eugene took to this case.
- [43:20]
Amy Goodman
I want to play a scene from your film, Ask E. Jean, in which E. Jean Carroll talks with writer Lisa Birnbach, the first person she spoke to, about Donald Trump sexually assaulting her back in 1996.
- [43:36]
E. Jean Carroll
I called you right after the attack. We were not that close of friends. I had met you.
- [43:43]
Lisa Birnbach
You didn't like me that much, right?
- [43:44]
E. Jean Carroll
No, I adored you. See, that. That was the thing. I thought you were the funniest writer I know. And if I tell you what happened, you will laugh, and then I will feel great.
- [43:55]
Woman disrupting Mayor's news conference
Yeah.
- [43:55]
E. Jean Carroll
And then we'll both be happy.
- [43:57]
Emilio Gonzalez Avalos
Right.
- [43:57]
Lisa Birnbach
I think, oh, this is going to be fun.
- [43:59]
Amy Goodman
Right.
- [44:00]
Lisa Birnbach
And you tell me the story, and I said, e, what happened to you was horrible. And you got upset that I wasn't laughing.
- [44:11]
E. Jean Carroll
Yeah. That if you thought it was funny, if I called you, it would take the sting out that it hadn't happened. It was just a funny thing.
- [44:19]
Lisa Birnbach
And instead, I was shocked and said, wow, what are we going to do, ladies?
- [44:28]
Ivy Meeropol
Cheers.
- [44:29]
Amy Goodman
Thank you.
- [44:30]
Lisa Birnbach
You know, I was very disappointed that you wouldn't report him, but, Lisa, they
- [44:36]
E. Jean Carroll
never would have believed I would have lost my. I would have been fired. I didn't have money to get an attorney. Everything I'd worked for would be dissipated.
- [44:45]
Lisa Birnbach
You said, don't ever speak of this again. Don't ever tell anyone this story as long as you live. Do I have your word? And you did. And that was that.
- [45:02]
Amy Goodman
That's writer Lisa Birnbach, the first person E. Jean Carroll spoke to about being sexually assaulted in the department store dressing room. Ivy Meeropol. Talk about the significance of what it means when a person has told another person contemporaneously.
- [45:25]
Ivy Meeropol
Mm. Yeah. So Lisa is what's called an outcry witness, which just means that she's the person that Eugene called told right after the attack. Carol Martin is Eugene's other outcry witness. Those two women were told within a day or two after Trump assaulted Eugene at Bergdorf Goodman's. And what's important about that is that now then, 25 years later, when Eugene decided to come forward with this story, she went to Carol and Lisa and, you know, asked that they please come forward now and lose their anonymity, which was not an easy choice to make for either of them. And they both did, and they both stood by Eugene. And it's a beautiful story of female friendship across the years and then coming together to fight this common.
- [46:28]
Amy Goodman
I want to go to one last clip, and that is during his deposition in 2023, Trump was shown a picture of himself, E. Jean Carroll, her former husband, the news anchor John Johnson, and Trump's then wife, Ivana. He confused Aegean Carroll with his ex wife, Marla Maples. You're saying Marla's in this photo?
- [46:55]
Donald Trump
That's Marla. Yeah, that's my wife.
- [46:57]
Emilio Gonzalez Avalos
Which woman are you pointing to?
- [46:59]
Donald Trump
No, here
- [47:02]
Amy Goodman
the person you just pointed to was that.
- [47:04]
Woman disrupting Mayor's news conference
Who is that?
- [47:06]
Amy Goodman
And the person, the woman on the
- [47:08]
Emilio Gonzalez Avalos
right is your then wife?
- [47:09]
Amy Goodman
I don't know. This was the picture.
- [47:11]
Donald Trump
I assume that's John Johnson. Is that.
- [47:13]
Amy Goodman
That's Carol?
- [47:14]
Donald Trump
Because it's very blurry.
- [47:16]
Amy Goodman
So this is an amazing moment. Right. This is Donald Trump who said he'd never met who she was. Not his type. And of course, then E. Jean Carroll writes a book, he's not My Type. And he is confusing E. Jean Carroll with his ex wife, Marla Maples.
- [47:38]
Ivy Meeropol
Yes. Now, you know, Amy, this was reported at the time, but I don't think people, myself included, can fully appreciate or understand what was happening here until we were able to just really play it out in the film.
- [47:56]
Linda Sarsour
Yeah.
- [47:57]
Ivy Meeropol
As you said, Trump is presented with this photo that shows him meeting Eugene in a or saying hello to Eugene in a receiving line, and he gets confused. He is asked to identify everyone in the picture and his wife Ivana Trump is there with him, but he looks at E. Jean and he says, that's Marla. That's Marla, my wife. Now, Robby Kaplan. So quick, she follows up with this unbelievable bombshell of a moment and says, would you say that all three of your wives were your type, are your type? And he says, oh, yeah, yeah, sure. Doesn't, you know, it's just we have that in the film too. So it is such an important turning point in the case. And, and it just shows you know how all of his bluster about, you know, she's not my type, and all of this is just more lies.
- [48:58]
Amy Goodman
Ivy Meeropol, as we wrap up, can you talk about the release of this film, the theatrical release this weekend? It's opening at IFC center here in New York, going on to Los Angeles. Have you had difficulty distributing this film?
- [49:20]
Ivy Meeropol
Yes, yes. It has been, as you can imagine, it is quite a challenge. You know, there is, it is just the reality in our country right now that this vengeful president and he's so powerful right now back in office that it, you know, it has a chilling effect. So we have had a very hard time. We know that audiences want to see this film. We've had seen the reactions in the film, the film festivals we've been privileged to be part of. So it took a while to get here. But we have partnered with Abramorama, an incredible distributor, and we are pushing the film out all over the country. And we are really excited because it's a New York City story. And we just, the IOC Center, Memorial Day weekend, big opening. We'll be there all week. And yeah, I'm gonna be joined by some incredible women to do some Q&As. Roxane Gay will be with me. I have Amber Tamblyn. So I feel the momentum starting. It feels like the exact right moment for this film.
- [50:33]
Amy Goodman
Ivy Miropol, director and producer of the award winning documentary Ask E. Jean. Her past films include Heir to an Execution, about the execution of her grandparents, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, executed in 1953. She will be at Q&As this weekend at the IFC center here in New York. Coming up, state officials in Minneapolis have charged an ICE agent for shooting a Venezuelan immigrant, then falsely reporting what happened back in 2017 seconds. Gansaba. Honduran musician Carlo Latta performing in our Democracy now studio. This is democracynow. Democracynow.org, i'm Amy Goodman. In Minnesota, prosecutors have filed criminal charges against an ICE officer who allegedly shot a Venezuelan immigrant in north Minneapolis during an immigration raid in January, then lied about what happened. On Monday, the Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty announced federal agent Christian Castro will face four counts of second degree assault and one count of falsely reporting a crime.
- [52:38]
Mary Moriarty
Four counts of assault are a result of Mr. Castro shooting through the front door of a residence with the intent to cause fear of immediate bodily harm or death to the four adults who were just inside the door. These charges have activated a nationwide warrant for his arrest.
- [52:58]
Amy Goodman
Venezuelan immigrant Julio Sosacelles suffered a leg wound when Castro allegedly shot him through the door. The Trump administration initially claimed that Castro fired in self defense after accusing Sosacelles and another man of beating an officer with a broom handle and a snow shovel. A federal judge later dismissed those charges after video evidence clearly contradicted. This comes as Hennepin county prosecutors continue to investigate the killings of Nay Goode and Alex Pretti by federal agents during the Trump administration's violent immigration enforcement campaign known as Operation Metro Surge. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison also addressed reporters Monday.
- [53:39]
Ivy Meeropol
There's a long line of cases where state authorities have had to hold federal agents accountable for breaking state I think the first one is called in re Nagel and they flow from there. And so as was said earlier, there's no such thing as absolute immunity.
- [54:00]
Amy Goodman
For more, we're joined in our New York studio by Emilio Gonzalez Apalos. She is executive director of Unidos Minnesota, a grassroots organization that builds power with Minnesota's working families to advance social, racial and economic justice. She's here in New York. She just received the Puffin Prize for Creative Citizenship on behalf of her group. Hansoff NYC also was a recipient this year. Amelia, congratulations on the award. As you're here, these charges are announced. Talk about the significance of them.
- [54:36]
Emilio Gonzalez Avalos
It is really important to demonstrate that there are opportunities to continue to embody a functioning democracy where when the crimes of people are meeting consequences. And that is what the institution of the Hennepin County Attorney's office is trying to attempt here. After several months of the federal government obstructing investigation of both the murders of Renee Goode, Alex Perdi and also the other crimes that this officer is committing during Operation Metrostarch and Operation Paris.
- [55:09]
Amy Goodman
So talk about what it means to have state officials and what this video evidence was so that people understand it's the state of Minnesota that is going after the ICE officer. But in the case of Renee Goode and Alex Pretti, who were killed as they bore witness to what was happening on the groundAlex, Pretti, the VA nurse, the mom, Renee Goode, they're having trouble the state officials getting cooperation from the federal government who's taken the evidence correct
- [55:47]
Emilio Gonzalez Avalos
since the beginning, they deployed false narratives, calling both Renee Good and Alex Purdy criminals and centuries trying to polarize their identities for the public narrative that could benefit the federal government. And they were also trying to hide the overreach and the violence, the vitriol in which federal agents were behaving on the ground. The amount of erosion of people's constitutional rights the violations of people's constitutional rights also during detention and through the detention and the transportation of immigrants into southern states for processing. And so when we see that Minnesota was a place where civil society was prepared to record and bear witness and they brought all of these activities and recordings to the light they share in their social media, they share with reporters, they share it with mainstream media. And so we had the evidence, peopleregular people had the evidence that the narrative that the federal government was putting out there was not only false but also quite opposite to the type of, to the type of misguiding that they were trying to misguided regular Americans into believing that the Minnesotans were unruly and radical. And so now the county prosecutor has evidence from regular people, a neighbor that recorded that actually nobody used a shovel, that there was no use of force by a Venezuelan immigrant, that in fact there was an agent that shot through the door when there was a baby inside the home, several children inside the home, trying to figure out how to answer officer and ask if there was a warrant, if there was a judicial warrant, how to respond to the authorities. All that was recorded by neighbors. There were people trying to bear witness. They were eyewitnesses on the ground trying to bring these cases to light. And it was the people that equipped the county prosecutor to move the institution to embody the constitutional law and the body of the institution of Hennepin county to actually prosecute the wrongdoing of the self esteem. And that is what democracy looks like. It looks like separation of powers and getting material consequences of wrongdoing.
- [58:15]
Amy Goodman
Well, Emilio Gonzalez Avalos, thank you for being with us. Executive director of Unidos Minnesota grassroots group that builds power with Minnesota's working families to advance social, racial and economic justice. We'll do an interview in Spanish and post online@democracynow.org that does it for our show. I'll be tonight at the IFC center after the 6 o' clock screening of the film about Democracy Now. Steal the story, please. I'll be there with the director Tia Lesson and with V, formerly known as Eve Ensler. Tomorrow. I'll also be there for a Q and a after the 6 o' clock screening at IFC center with our own Democracy now co host Nermeen Shaikh and the director Tia Lesson. Then to Boulder and Denver. Check our website.