Donald Trump has lost another round in his legal battle with E. Jean Carroll after a federal appeals court in New York upheld an $83.3 million judgment against the former president.
In a ruling issued Monday, the judges rejected Trump’s argument that he was immune from liability as president, saying he “failed to identify any grounds” for overturning the verdict.
The court described the jury’s decision as “fair and reasonable” given the “unique and egregious facts of this case.”
The case stems from statements Trump made while in office and afterward, denying Carroll’s accusations that he sexually assaulted her in a Manhattan department store in the 1990s. He repeatedly claimed he had “never met her,” called her a liar, and dismissed the allegations as a “hoax.”
Carroll, a former Elle magazine columnist, testified that Trump’s denials unleashed online harassment and thousands of threatening messages.
“After Trump released his statements, which were viewed by up to 104 million people, Carroll was instantly and continuously attacked… including hundreds of death threats,” the judges noted.
The $83.3 million award came from a second defamation trial in January 2024, which included $18 million in compensatory damages and $65 million in punitive damages.
It followed an earlier 2022 case in which another jury awarded Carroll $5 million after finding Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation.
Trump’s legal team argued that his statements were made in his capacity as president, issued through official White House channels, and therefore protected under presidential immunity.
Carroll’s lawyers countered that his remarks were “purely personal” and unrelated to his duties in office — an argument the appellate court upheld.
Despite the ruling, Trump’s attorneys are expected to ask the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene.
