Donald Trump has suffered a legal setback after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear his appeal of the $5 million judgment awarded to writer and former advice columnist E. Jean Carroll.
The decision leaves intact a 2023 verdict that found the politician liable for sexual abuse and defamation, while keeping him responsible for the damages award.
Now, Donald Trump has taken to his Truth Social page to rant over the court’s decision, branding their move surprising.
Supreme Court Refuses To Hear Donald Trump Appeal In E. Jean Carroll Case
President Donald Trump has exhausted another avenue in his effort to overturn the $5 million judgment awarded to writer and former advice columnist E. Jean Carroll, after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear his appeal.
The decision leaves intact a verdict stemming from Carroll’s lawsuit, in which a federal jury found Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation. As a result, the president remains responsible for the $5 million award issued in 2023, according to the New York Post.
Trump’s legal team had urged the nation’s highest court to intervene, arguing that ongoing litigation over allegations dating back decades placed an unnecessary burden on a sitting president.
In court filings, his attorneys contended that the case was “deeply damaging to the fabric of our republic” for Trump to be forced to divert attention from his presidential duties to defend himself against what they described as “decades-old, false allegations” and a “baseless case,” adding that “This mistreatment of a President cannot be allowed to stand.”
Supreme Court Lets E. Jean Carroll Verdict Stand As Trump Continues Appeal Of Larger Judgment
As is customary, the Supreme Court did not provide a detailed explanation for its decision not to take up the appeal.
The original verdict stemmed from Carroll’s allegations that Trump sexually assaulted her in a dressing room at the luxury department store Bergdorf Goodman in the mid-1990s.
She later accused him of defamation after he publicly denied her claims, suggested she fabricated the story, and said she was not his type. In May 2023, a Manhattan jury found Trump liable for both sexual abuse and defamation.
The legal dispute expanded after Trump continued making public remarks about Carroll following that ruling. She subsequently filed a second defamation lawsuit, resulting in a January 2024 jury award of $83.3 million.
The judgment included $11 million for reputational damage, $7.3 million for emotional harm, and additional punitive damages. Trump is continuing to challenge that ruling in lower courts.
Donald Trump Calls E. Jean Carroll Case A ‘Weaponization’ Of Justice
Following the Supreme Court’s decision, Trump took to Truth Social to condemn the case and reaffirm his intention to keep fighting.
“Surprisingly, the Supreme Court declined to ‘review’ a Fake Case brought against me by a woman I never met (Decades old celebrity photo line, standing with her husband, does not count!),” he wrote.
Describing the lawsuit as an example of “weaponization” of the legal system, Trump vowed to challenge the ruling “with all of my power and strength.”
“I will continue the fight against this Weaponization and Lawfare Case against me, including the ridiculous claim of Defamation, with all of my power and strength,” he added.
The President Claims The Case Is ‘Really Against The United States Of America’
In his heated Truth Social post, Trump argued that the case was an attack on America and maintained that a sitting president should never face such treatment.
He wrote, “This Case is really against the United States of America, and all it stands for, and should never be allowed to happen to another President, or Candidate to be!”
The president also accused New York lawmakers of creating legislation specifically designed to target him, arguing that the law temporarily opened a pathway for decades-old claims to be brought forward.
According to the president, the legislation was designed to allow claims that otherwise would not have proceeded.
Donald Trump’s Attorneys Argued Jury Should Not Have Seen Key Evidence
In their appeal to the Supreme Court, Trump’s attorneys argued that key evidence presented during the trial should not have been shown to jurors.
Among their objections was the inclusion of the 2005 “Access Hollywood” recording, in which Trump was captured making controversial remarks about women during an off-camera conversation.
“You know I’m automatically attracted to beautiful — I just start kissing them. It’s like a magnet. Just kiss. I don’t even wait. And when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything, … Grab them by the p-ssy. You can do anything,” Trump was heard saying on the recording.
The president’s legal team further argued that U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan improperly allowed testimony from two women who separately accused Trump of sexual misconduct years earlier.
Trump has consistently denied all allegations and maintains that errors during the trial influenced the outcome of the case.