Maud Maron

E. Jean Carroll’s banana republic justice

Monday, June 29, 2026, 7:25 PM

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Maud Maron

E. Jean Carroll’s banana republic justice
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E. Jean Carroll gets to keep her money. The Supreme Court has declined to review the $5 million sexual abuse and defamation verdict she won in federal court against Donald Trump. Carroll walks away enriched. Her financier – Reid Hoffman, a wealthy Democratic donor and LinkedIn co-founder who bankrolled the litigation – got his money’s worth too.

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But the rest of us are much poorer. We are left with a badly damaged legal system and a clarifying, disturbing lesson about American politics: lawfare works.

Whether you love Donald Trump or loathe him, the wave of civil and criminal litigation targeting him over the past several years should alarm you. What we have witnessed is the weaponization of judicial processes to wound a political opponent – what scholars and commentators have begun calling lawfare. The Carroll case is one of the most troubling because basic tenets of due process were abandoned for the anti-Trump forces to produce their “win.”

This suit was funded by a political opponent with deep pockets whose stated goal was, in his own words, “protecting the rule of law from the threat posed by Donald Trump” – which is to say, damaging Trump politically. The underlying claims were, to put it charitably, difficult to evaluate. Carroll alleged a sexual assault in a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room but offered only a range of possible years(!) – late 1995 or early 1996 – with no greater precision.

As a defense lawyer, I find this not merely inconvenient but disqualifying. How does one mount a defense against an allegation untethered from time? Against what alibi does the accused check his calendar? The rules of evidence and the logic of due process both require that accusers bring something more than a vague recollection and moral righteousness.

And then there is the dress. Carroll claimed to remember the specific Donna Karan garment she wore that day – a detail she apparently recalled with precision while the year itself escaped her. Trump’s legal team and a number of investigators pointed out that the dress was not available until after some of the dates Carroll had originally suggested for the assault, raising serious questions about the reliability of her account.

“The people most loudly invoking the rule of law are engineering its debasement”

Carroll’s supporters and many media outlets treated this as a minor distraction. Timeline discrepancies happen, but in a functioning legal environment, evidence that an accuser’s detailed recollections are anchored to a physical impossibility would receive far more scrutiny than it did here.

Still outstanding is a second $83.3 million verdict in a separate defamation case, and that verdict remains under appeal. The lawfare ledger, in other words, is not fully closed.

The cynical genius of this model is that it offers upside on every branch of the decision tree. If the litigation succeeds outright, the political opponent is chased out of the race. If it partially succeeds, as here, the opponent bleeds millions in legal fees, spends years under a cloud and hands opponents a cudgel to wave at voters. And even if the case collapses entirely, it is impossible to unring the bell of even the most flimsy accusations after gallons of spilled ink.

This is the logic of banana republic justice, and the bitter irony is that its American architects are the same voices who fill our public square with warnings about “Democracy Dying in Darkness” and authoritarianism. The people most loudly invoking the rule of law are engineering its debasement. They have simply decided that the ends – stop Trump at all costs – justify the means, which is, of course, how Democracies die.

The Supreme Court’s reluctance to wade into this particular dispute is understandable on its own terms. The Court takes a tiny fraction of the cases presented to it, and its criteria for doing so are, and should be, principled, not political. One can respect the institution’s selectivity and still mourn the result: a verdict reached through a process riddled with due-process concerns now carries the implicit endorsement of the Court’s silence.

The Carroll case makes clear to every well-funded political operative in America that the courthouse is a viable arena for political gamesmanship – that even a weak case, pursued with enough money and media support, can deliver a trophy.

Here’s how to get last-minute Wimbledon 2026 tickets with a discount

Get last-minute Wimbledon 2026 tickets with a discount

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Here’s how to get last-minute Wimbledon 2026 tickets with a discount

By Matt Levy Published June 29, 2026, 10:32 p.m. ET

Jannik Sinner (L) and Aryna Sabalenka are playing at Wimbledon in 2026. — Getty Images

See more of our coverage in your search results.

Add The California Post on Google New York Post may be compensated and/or receive an affiliate commission if you click or buy through our links. Featured pricing is subject to change.

Tennis season is officially in full swing.

On Monday, June 29, Wimbledon got underway in dramatic fashion at The All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club.

Defending men’s champion Jannik Sinner of Italy barely took down No. 50 Miomir Kecmanović, defeating the Serb in five sets. Mid-match, the world No. 1 tripped, crumpled to the ground mid-rally and later saw his foot get bloodied.

Meanwhile, women’s No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka had better luck against a Serbian underdog, besting Teodora Kostovic 6-2, 6-3.

And that was just day one.

If you’d like to be at the world-famous grassy London courts, last-minute all-day passes are still available for all upcoming dates of the iconic tourney.

At the time of publication, the lowest price we could find on passes was $2,115 including fees on SeatGeek (that’s for Thursday, July 9, by the way).

Other dates have passes starting anywhere from $2,729 to $13,985 including fees.

Make sure to use promo code NYPOST10 for $10 off purchases over $250 at checkout (Editor’s Note: this discount is only valid for users’ first purchase on SeatGeek).

In addition to Sinner and Sabalenka, notable players also set to take the grass by storm over the next two weeks include seven-time Wimbledon champ Novak Djokovic, Roland Garros victor Alexander Zverev, World No. 2 Elena Rybakina, 2025 winner Iga Świątek and fan-favorite Coc Gauff.

Plus, Serena Williams will be on the grounds playing singles as well.

Fans that have never attended are in for a literal treat, too.

“Pimms and strawberries and cream are an integral part of the Wimbledon experience – 200,000 punnets of strawberries are served during the Championships,” On The Luce reports.

“There are lots of other eating options though, ranging from takeaway cafés to sit-down restaurants and Champagne bars.”

~~Want~~ Need to politely clap while watching the world’s most elite tennis players live?

We’ve got your back~~hand~~.

Our team has everything you need to know and more about attending Wimbledon 2026 live in England below.

How much are tickets for Wimbledon 2026?

A complete day-by-day breakdown of all the cheapest Wimbledon tickets can be found here:

Wimbledon dates	Ticket prices start at
Tuesday, June 30	$3,205 (including fees)
Wednesday, July 1	$3,378 (including fees)
Thursday, July 2	$2,729 (including fees)
Friday, July 3	$2,943 (including fees)
Saturday, July 4	$2,859 (including fees)
Sunday, July 5	$2,821 (including fees)
Monday, July 6	$2,997 (including fees)
Tuesday, July 7	$3,702 (including fees)
Wednesday, July 8	$3,996 (including fees)
Thursday, July 9	$2,115 (including fees)
Friday, July 10	$11,655 (including fees)
Saturday, July 11	$4,374 (including fees)
Sunday, July 12	$13,985 (including fees)

Where can I get U.S. Open tickets?

Fans hoping to attend Flushing’s annual blue court tourney can pick up tickets well over a month in advance.

If you’d like to catch beloved blue court battles live in Queens, some seats can be yours for as low as $54 including fees on SeatGeek.

Not too bad considering you won’t have to travel to England and will likely see many familiar faces that also competed at Wimbledon (plus, Roger Federer who is putting on a one-night doubles event with Andre Agassi, John McEnroe and Andy Roddick on Aug. 24).

To find the match that makes the most sense for your schedule and wallet, you can find 2026 U.S. Open tickets here.

About Wimbledon 2026

One of this year’s biggest storylines at Wimbledon are all the players not taking part in the tournament.

Sadly, Carlos Alcaraz will be sitting due to a wrist injury he suffered at the Barcelona Open this spring. Biggies Marketa Vondrousova, Emma Raducanu and Jack Draper have also withdrawn.

On a lighter note, as noted above, 44-year-old Serena Williams is competing in a singles match at Wimbledon for the first time since 2022. All eyes will be on her for her match with 20-year-old Australian Maya Joint on June 30.

Players will also be getting paid more than ever before. Ahead of this year’s Wimbledon, a 20% prize pool increase was implemented. Other upgrades at the tourney include a video review system for controversial line calls and new-and-improved heat stress rules.

Wimbledon fashion 2026

Off the court, trendsetters will be serving looks in the stands.

Just a few of the biggest attention-grabbers this year thus far include Naomi Osaka’s kimono-inspired fit, Bad Bunny’s low-key look, Judd Apatow and Leslie Mann’s simple yet elegant numbers, Isla Fisher’s flow-y dress and Sir David Beckham’s classy, single-breasted suit.

Huge artists on tour in 2026

Need a little bit of music in your life too?

Here are just five huge artists you won’t want to miss live these next few months.

• Harry Styles

• Daniel Caesar

• Olivia Rodrigo

• Ariana Grande

• Louis Tomlinson

Who else is on the road this year? Take a look at our list of the 50 biggest concert tours in 2026 to find out.

Why you should trust ‘Post Wanted’ by the New York Post

This article was written by Matt Levy, New York Post live events reporter. Levy stays up-to-date on all the latest tour announcements from your favorite musical artists and comedians, as well as Broadway openings, sporting events and more live shows – and finds great ticket prices online. Since he started his tenure at the Post in 2022, Levy has reviewed a Bruce Springsteen concert and interviewed Melissa Villaseñor of SNL fame, to name a few. Please note that deals can expire, and all prices are subject to change.

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