A federal appeals court has refused to dismiss an $83.3 million jury verdict against US President Donald Trump for defaming writer E Jean Carroll in 2019 after she accused him of sexual assault. The US Circuit Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in Manhattan issued its decision on Monday, rejecting Trump’s claim that presidential immunity should have shielded him from Carroll’s lawsuit and the damages awarded by the jury.
The appeals court firmly stated, “We hold that the district court did not err in any of the challenged rulings and that the jury’s duly rendered damages awards were reasonable in light of the extraordinary and egregious facts of this case.” Neither the White House nor Trump’s legal representatives immediately responded to requests for comment following the ruling. The decision marks another significant legal setback for Trump, who has faced multiple civil and criminal cases in recent years.
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Background of Carroll’s Claims and Verdicts
E Jean Carroll, now 81 years old and a former columnist for Elle magazine, accused Trump of sexually assaulting her in the mid-1990s at a Bergdorf Goodman department store dressing room. Trump publicly denied the accusation for the first time in June 2019, saying Carroll was “not my type” and that she fabricated the allegation to promote her book, What Do We Need Men For? The memoir, released at the time, detailed aspects of Carroll’s life and included her account of the alleged incident.
Trump’s repeated denials, including an October 2022 Truth Social post that largely echoed his earlier remarks, resulted in separate defamation suits. In May 2023, a jury awarded Carroll $5 million in damages in a case related to those statements. While the jury did not find that Trump had raped Carroll, it did determine he was liable for sexual assault and defamation. That verdict was later upheld by the Second Circuit court in June 2024.
The January 2024 trial over his 2019 statements brought an even larger penalty. The jury awarded Carroll $83.3 million, which included $18.3 million for reputational and emotional harm, and $65 million in punitive damages. These significant financial awards underscored the jury’s view of the seriousness of Trump’s actions and their impact on Carroll’s life and reputation.
Trump’s Arguments and the Appeals Court’s Rejection
In his most recent appeal, Trump argued that the Supreme Court’s July 2024 decision granting him substantial criminal immunity should also protect him from civil liability in Carroll’s case. He maintained that his statements in 2019 were made in his official capacity as president, and therefore, immunity should apply. He further suggested that denying immunity could threaten the independence of the executive branch of the United States government.
Trump also challenged several rulings by US District Judge Lewis Kaplan, who oversaw both of Carroll’s trials. Among these objections was Kaplan’s decision to strike Trump’s testimony where he claimed, “I just wanted to defend myself, my family, and frankly the presidency.” Trump’s team argued that these exclusions unfairly limited his defense.
However, the appeals court did not accept these arguments. By affirming the lower court’s rulings and upholding the jury’s award, the court left Trump responsible for the full $83.3 million judgment.
Carroll’s Continuing Legal and Public Fight
E Jean Carroll has remained a public figure throughout her legal battles with Trump. In June 2024, she released another memoir titled Not My Type: One Woman vs a President, which reflects on her experiences taking the former president to court and the broader implications of her case. The book adds to her long career as a journalist and writer while also documenting the challenges she faced in her pursuit of accountability.
Conclusion of the Court’s Decision
The Second Circuit’s decision to uphold the $83.3 million jury verdict against Donald Trump further solidifies the outcomes of E Jean Carroll’s legal cases. Despite Trump’s arguments for presidential immunity and claims of judicial errors, the court found the damages reasonable and the rulings appropriate. This marks another significant chapter in Carroll’s pursuit of justice and highlights the courts’ continued rejection of Trump’s defenses in these defamation suits.
