NEW YORK — In a major legal blow to President Donald Trump, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit has upheld an $83.3 million defamation judgment awarded to writer E. Jean Carroll. The unanimous ruling, issued Monday, rejected Trump’s appeal and affirmed the jury’s finding that he acted with “common law malice” when he repeatedly denied Carroll’s sexual assault allegations and accused her of fabricating the story for political and financial gain.
The case stems from Carroll’s public accusation in 2019 that Trump sexually assaulted her in a Manhattan department store dressing room in the mid-1990s. Trump responded with a series of public denials, calling Carroll’s claims a “hoax” and a “con job.” Carroll filed two lawsuits—one for defamation during Trump’s presidency and another for comments made after he left office. Both juries found in Carroll’s favor, awarding her $5 million in the first case and $83.3 million in the second.
Trump’s legal team argued that he was protected by presidential immunity and that the damages were excessive. They also claimed procedural errors during the trial, including the exclusion of evidence and improper jury instructions. The appeals court dismissed all these arguments, stating that the district court “did not err in any of the challenged rulings” and that the damages were “reasonable in light of the extraordinary and egregious facts of this case”.
The panel of judges—Denny Chin, Sarah Merriam, and Maria Araújo Kahn—also noted Trump’s disruptive behavior during the trial, including inflammatory gestures and comments made in front of the jury. Carroll’s attorney, Roberta Kaplan, had urged the jury to award a sum that would “make him stop” defaming her client.
With interest accruing under New York’s 9% annual rate, the judgment has now ballooned to over $89 million. Trump is expected to appeal to the Supreme Court, continuing a legal saga that has spanned more than six years and become a flashpoint in debates over presidential accountability and the limits of executive privilege.
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