The United States Supreme Court has turned down U.S. President Donald Trump’s appeal for a second time in the case brought by E. Jean Carroll, where a jury found him responsible for sexual abuse and defamation against the former magazine columnist, awarding a $5 million USD verdict. Trump’s legal team argued that the trial was unjust, but the court’s decision to deny his appeal remained unchanged.
Additionally, Trump faces a separate appeal regarding an $83.3 million USD jury verdict for defaming Carroll during his presidency when he dismissed her accusations. Trump’s lawyers claim that presidential immunity should protect him from Carroll’s claims, and they challenge the lower courts’ ruling on this matter.
The ongoing legal battle between Trump and Carroll began in 2019 when Carroll alleged in her memoir that Trump had assaulted her in a department store dressing room in Manhattan. Despite Trump’s continuous denial of the accusations, a jury found him guilty of defaming Carroll in 2022 for calling her claims a “hoax” and a “con job” on social media.
Following the Supreme Court’s rejection of Trump’s appeal, Carroll received nearly $5.63 million USD from Trump, including the initial $5 million USD verdict plus interest. Trump’s legal team highlighted the potential impact of the issue of presidential immunity on both the $83.3 million USD verdict and the 2023 case, emphasizing the significance of a 2024 Supreme Court decision affirming full immunity for former presidents from criminal prosecution related to actions taken during their tenure.
