In Washington, the Supreme Court delivered a significant legal setback to former President Donald Trump on Monday by declining to take up his appeal regarding a jury’s finding that he sexually abused and subsequently defamed writer E. Jean Carroll. By refusing to hear the case, the justices ensured that the 2023 jury verdict and the resulting $5 million civil judgment will remain in force.
The underlying legal dispute originated from a federal lawsuit filed by Carroll in Manhattan. She alleged that Trump assaulted her within a department store dressing room back in 1996. The defamation aspect of the case stems from comments Trump made after his initial presidential term, during which he branded her allegations as a “hoax” and a “con job.”
Following the court’s refusal to intervene, Trump expressed strong disapproval on social media, asserting his intention to continue fighting the case “with all of my power and strength.” He further insisted he had never met Carroll, referencing a past photograph of the two that had surfaced. The former president described the legal action as an affront to the United States, declaring that such an “injustice” should not be permitted.
A spokesperson for Trump’s legal team characterized the high court’s decision as part of a series of “Witch Hunts” against the former president. Conversely, Carroll’s attorney, Roberta Kaplan, issued a statement praising the decision. She noted that the ruling serves to confirm the jury’s unanimous verdict once and for all, effectively ending Trump’s attempts to avoid legal accountability for his conduct.
Carroll initially made her accusations in 2019 and filed the defamation suit later that year while Trump was still in his first term. Following delays related to presidential immunity questions, she launched a second lawsuit in 2022 under a New York state law designed to support survivors of sexual assault. This second suit, which included post-presidency defamation claims, was the first to proceed to trial and is the specific case the Supreme Court declined to review.
Trump’s defense consistently denied the allegations, highlighting that there were no witnesses and no initial police report. His legal team argued that lower court judge Lewis Kaplan erred by allowing testimony from other women, Jessica Leeds and Natasha Stoynoff, who also accused the former president of misconduct, and by permitting the use of the “Access Hollywood” tape. Attorneys for Trump suggested these decisions unfairly bolstered Carroll’s case. However, Carroll’s legal team pointed to the testimony of two friends to whom she reported the attack shortly after it occurred, asserting the evidence was properly admitted to show prior conduct.
The New York-based 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which previously upheld the verdict, concluded that the disputes regarding evidentiary admissions were not determining factors. Meanwhile, a separate $83.3 million judgment against Trump concerning earlier defamation claims remains under appeal on separate grounds related to presidential immunity.
