Appeals Court Upholds $83.3 Million Defamation Verdict Against Donald Trump in E. Jean Carroll Case
A federal appeals court has upheld an $83.3 million civil defamation verdict against former President Donald Trump, rejecting his efforts to overturn the jury’s decision in favor of writer E. Jean Carroll.
The ruling, issued Monday by the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, affirms a Manhattan jury’s finding that Trump must pay the substantial sum for a series of defamatory social media posts targeting Carroll after she publicly accused him of sexually assaulting her in the mid-1990s.
Trump, who has repeatedly denied the allegations and claimed Carroll fabricated the story to promote her book, argued that a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision expanding presidential immunity should shield him from the financial judgment. His legal team also sought a new trial.
However, the appeals court firmly rejected those arguments. “Trump has failed to identify any grounds that would warrant reconsidering our prior holding on presidential immunity,” the court wrote. “We also conclude that the district court did not err in any of the challenged rulings and that the jury’s damages awards are fair and reasonable.”
The $83.3 million award was handed down in 2024 after a trial focusing on Trump’s repeated online attacks against Carroll, including accusations that she lied about the alleged 1996 assault in a Manhattan department store. Although Carroll’s claims lacked direct physical evidence, the jury determined Trump’s comments were defamatory and damaging to her reputation.
This case followed an earlier, separate civil trial in which Trump was found liable for sexually abusing Carroll. That case resulted in a $5 million judgment, which was also upheld by an appeals court in December 2023.
Trump’s legal team has not yet indicated whether they will attempt to bring the case before the U.S. Supreme Court.
Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr
