Appeals Court Upholds $83 Million Defamation Judgment Against President Trump, Rejects Immunity Defense
A federal appeals court upheld an $83.3 million defamation judgment against President Trump for E. Jean Carroll, rejecting his presidential immunity defense and calls for a new trial.
Appeals court upholds Trump’s $83 million defamation penalty
World News Group
Trump Fails to Get Out of Paying E. Jean Carroll $83 Million
New York Magazine
Appeals court upholds Carroll defamation judgment against Trump
Washington Examiner
Overview
- Multiple federal appeals courts, including the 2nd U.S. Circuit, upheld an $83.3 million defamation judgment against President Donald Trump in favor of writer E. Jean Carroll.
- The judgment stems from President Trump's 2019 defamatory statements denying E. Jean Carroll's claims of sexual assault, for which a jury found him liable in a previous trial.
- The $83.3 million award includes $18.3 million for emotional and reputational harm, plus $65 million in punitive damages, reflecting his reckless disregard for the truth.
- President Trump's defense team argued for dismissal or a new trial based on presidential immunity, but the Second District found no grounds for immunity in the case.
- Appellate courts rejected arguments that damages were excessive, criticizing President Trump's "extraordinary and egregious" conduct as malicious and deceitful, leading to the judgment being upheld.
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Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame this story by emphasizing the court's strong condemnation of Trump's conduct and the "egregious" nature of the case. They highlight the "latest defeat" for Trump and the "remarkably high" reprehensibility of his actions, often through prominent placement of court language and extensive quotes from Carroll's attorney, underscoring the justice served.
"The appeals court roundly rejected those arguments, writing that Trump’s “extraordinary and unprecedented” broadsides against Carroll, 81, justified the steep award."
Fortune"The panel said the $18.3 million the jury awarded Carroll in compensatory damages was fair."
ABC News"A jury's conclusion that President Trump should pay writer E. Jean Carroll more than $83 million in damages for defamation was "fair and reasonable," a federal appeals court panel ruled Monday."
CBS News"The judges rejected Trump’s appeal, as his attorneys argued that the verdict was excessive and that he was shielded by presidential immunity."
Deadline"The appeals court roundly rejected those arguments, writing that Trump’s “extraordinary and unprecedented” broadsides against Carroll justified the steep award."
Associated Press"The ruling means Trump remains on the hook for nearly $90 million in damages against Caroll – $83.3 million for damaging Caroll’s reputation when he denied her claim, and $5 million for defamation and sexual abuse."
USA TODAY"The appeals court agreed, rejecting the immunity arguments and finding the high punitive damages award was warranted."
NBC NewsArticles (23)
FAQ
The Second Circuit Court found no grounds for presidential immunity in the defamation case, concluding that the defamatory statements made by President Trump denying E. Jean Carroll's sexual assault claims did not fall within the scope of his official presidential duties, and thus he could be held liable.
The $83.3 million judgment includes $18.3 million for emotional and reputational harm to E. Jean Carroll and $65 million in punitive damages, reflecting the court's finding that President Trump's conduct was malicious, deceitful, and showed a reckless disregard for the truth in denying Carroll's sexual assault allegations.
Evidence included testimony from two friends Carroll spoke to after the alleged assault, a 1987 photograph of Carroll with Trump, testimony from two other women who accused Trump of sexual assault, footage from the Trump Access Hollywood tape, and his own deposition in October 2022. This evidence contributed to the jury finding Trump liable for defamation.
The appellate courts rejected arguments that the $83.3 million damages were excessive, criticizing President Trump's conduct as extraordinarily egregious and malicious, which justified the punitive damages and the overall amount awarded to E. Jean Carroll.
E. Jean Carroll filed two related lawsuits against Donald Trump — one resulted in a $5 million damages award in May 2023 for sexual abuse and defamation, and the other was the $83.3 million defamation judgment upheld in 2025. Trump’s appeals were unsuccessful, and he was held liable in both cases for the misconduct described by Carroll.
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