donald trump She is reportedly seeking a quick end to a defamation lawsuit brought by a journalist who alleges the former president raped her.

What happened: On Wednesday, Trump attorney Alina Habba asked a federal judge in Manhattan to replace the United States as a defendant in the lawsuit he was filing Jean Caroll, reported Reuters.

Habba wrote to the US District Court judge Lewis Kaplan after the 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan voted against a lower court judge’s decision that Trump was not protected by federal laws that provide federal employees with immunity from work-related incidents.

In her letter, Habba said the appeals court ruling meant the government “must be replaced as the accused,” according to Reuters.

Carroll’s attorney, Robert Kaplansaid “nothing has changed” in response to Trump’s move, according to the report, and asked that the case go ahead.

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Why it matters: Should the judge allow the United States to be replaced as a defendant, that would end Carroll’s lawsuit because the government cannot be sued for defamation, Reuters noted.

Trump’s attorney’s request gains momentum because the district court said Trump was a federal employee when he called Carroll a liar but left it to a Washington appeals court to decide whether he was acting as president when he spoke, according to Reuters .

Habba reportedly asked the judge to stay the case, saying it would be “very disadvantageous” for Trump to prepare for the trial if the Washington court ruled in his favor.

Carroll’s attorney wrote to Judge Kaplan Last week her client said plans to sue Trump for sexual battery and infliction of emotional distress.

Trump’s legal troubles could delay the announcement of his 2024 presidential run, according to a previous report. However, that hasn’t stopped the former US leader from saying on Truth Social that he was three states ahead of President Joe Biden.

Truth Social is part of Trump Media &…