DOJ perjury – The Justice Department has launched a criminal investigation into E. Jean Carroll over whether she lied under oath in connection with her 2022 deposition, reigniting political arguments about “lawfare” and alleged government weaponization after years of courtr
On a Monday that began like any other political news cycle, the question landed with new force: who gets investigated for what, and why.
In late May, a CNN report said the Justice Department opened a criminal investigation into E. Jean Carroll. a former Elle advice columnist and former plaintiff who has accused President Donald Trump of sexually assaulting her in a New York City department store roughly three decades ago. The focus of the inquiry is whether Carroll committed perjury tied to her 2022 deposition testimony.
According to the reporting, Carroll—who has already won two lawsuits against Trump—faces scrutiny over a particular statement she made during that 2022 deposition: that she did not receive any outside funding to help pay her legal costs.
The move arrives as Trump and his supporters have repeatedly framed their legal setbacks as “lawfare” wielded by the executive branch during President Joe Biden’s tenure. Republicans. in turn. have attacked the idea that the government should be used to pressure political opponents—yet the Carroll investigation places the same rhetorical language in the crosshairs.
The comparison is not subtle in the political story being told. Trump’s allies have lamented executive-branch pressure and have even attempted to set up a fund for people who believe they are victims of government weaponization. But Carroll’s investigation is now operating in the real world of criminal procedure—one that. in the eyes of many judges. has not looked clean in past Trump-era litigation.
The article also points to an additional parallel involving money and politics: Trump has sought to use government funds to reward supporters whom MAGA believes were targeted by Biden. The description includes the people who stormed the Capitol in Trump’s name on Jan. 6, 2021, even as the article notes that Trump backed away from that concept.
That backdrop matters because the Carroll investigation is tied to a central courtroom battleground between the president and a longtime accuser. Carroll’s allegations have already produced outcomes in court—she won two lawsuits—while the new inquiry pivots to whether she gave false testimony about outside financial support.
A key point in the political dispute is how each side characterizes the other’s actions. Trump emerged from his own criminal case as a felon, while Republicans have accused Biden of weaponizing the government. The article argues that Trump is now doing so in ways that judges are openly criticizing in litigation. including through allegations that DOJ lawyers are lying.
That clash of narratives is now on display at the same time as broader economic and political grievances being used to explain the country’s mood.
The piece draws a line from the courtroom drama to questions about trust in the economy. pointing to Gallup reporting that economic confidence in May 2026 was the lowest since 2022. It says the economy has not improved since Trump took office again. and argues that prices have risen further due to tariffs he implemented in 2025.
It also contrasts that current unease with the period under Biden, saying uncertainty during Biden’s tenure was tied to the COVID-19 pandemic.
On Trump’s personal and political framing of age and leadership, the article highlights multiple comments and claims. It says Trump. who turned 80 on June 14. made remarks to The New York Times in January calling Biden “the worst thing that ever happened to old people. ” even though the article says Trump is now showing his own age.
The piece also says Trump blamed Biden for high gas prices and tapping into oil reserves. while asserting that gas prices are up to $4.30 a gallon on average and that oil reserves have been drained faster than under the previous administration. It further says Trump called inflation under Biden a “crisis. ” while pointing to a report that in April inflation accelerated at the fastest pace in three years.
The political tension extends beyond domestic economics, according to the article. It says Trump predicted that a Harris administration would guarantee World War III. after saying in October 2024 that such a presidency was guaranteed to lead to it. The piece then asserts that the United States has been plunged into a conflict with Iran with no end in sight. without approval of Congress.
The article also says Trump has been “arresting the leader of Venezuela” and increasing pressure on Cuba, and it ties those moves to its broader theme: that Trump mirrors or even amplifies the tactics he used to accuse others of.
It uses that pattern to frame concern about Carroll’s situation. Carroll says Trump sexually abused her in the 1990s. and that she won a lawsuit where a jury found her account to be true. Now. the article portrays the investigation as especially harsh given the stakes. describing the inquiry as a renewed pressure point on someone who has already prevailed in court.
For Republicans who do not identify with MAGA, the piece suggests growing wariness. It also depicts a wider GOP dilemma: leaders have at times publicly claimed distrust of Biden and Harris. describing them as corrupt or incompetent. while the article says many in the party cheer when Trump chooses controversial routes.
In the end, the story that begins with a criminal investigation into a single deposition statement sits inside a larger, combustible debate—one where “lawfare” is used as both a shield and a weapon, and where the political fight is never far from the legal one.
Department of Justice E. Jean Carroll perjury investigation legal costs deposition lawfare Donald Trump Joe Biden tariffs economic confidence Gallup inflation gas prices Jan. 6 2021
Perjury probe… so basically politics again.
Wait I thought she already sued and won? Now they’re saying she lied about outside funding? That part is confusing because the whole thing feels like lawfare either way.
So DOJ opens a case and everybody yells “weaponization” like it’s the same game on both sides. But isn’t it kinda still government pressuring someone? Also “outside funding” sounds minor… unless they’re trying to make it sound bigger than it is.
I don’t even care about the deposition wording, it’s all messy. Like Trump’s people are saying lawfare, but now DOJ is doing an investigation so it’s automatically Biden weaponizing too right? And why is the focus money stuff… don’t they have bigger crimes to investigate? The article says she didn’t get any funding, but who even counts that, her friends? Sounds like a setup to me.