The United States Supreme Court rejected President Donald Trump’s appeal for the second time on Monday, upholding a $5-million verdict in favor of E. Jean Carroll. A jury found Trump liable for sexually abusing and defaming the former magazine columnist. Trump’s lawyers argued that the trial was unfair, but the justices declined to reconsider their previous decision from June regarding the 2023 jury verdict.
The court’s order was brief, offering no explanation, as the Supreme Court rarely grants requests for reconsideration. Apart from this case, the justices are also considering Trump’s appeal of an $83.3-million jury verdict for defaming Carroll during his presidency in 2019.
Trump’s legal team asserts that presidential immunity protects him from Carroll’s claims and that lower courts erred in ruling against this defense. The ongoing legal battle stems from Carroll’s allegations in 2019 that Trump sexually assaulted her in the 1990s. Trump has consistently denied these claims.
In the case leading to the $5-million verdict, jurors found Trump guilty of defaming Carroll in 2022 when he dismissed her claims as a “hoax” and a “con job” on social media. While the jury did not conclude that Trump raped Carroll, they did determine that he had sexually abused and defamed her.
After the Supreme Court’s denial of Trump’s appeal, Carroll received nearly $5.63 million from Trump, including the original $5-million civil verdict plus interest. Trump’s lawyers have raised concerns that the issue of presidential immunity in the $83.3-million verdict could impact the previous rulings. The Supreme Court’s 2024 decision affirmed former presidents’ immunity from criminal prosecution for actions during their term, although the Carroll cases are civil lawsuits.
