A U.S. appeals court has ruled that President Donald Trump must pay $83.3 million to writer E. Jean Carroll.
The decision confirms a jury’s earlier finding that Trump defamed Carroll through repeated social media posts and public remarks after she accused him of sexual assault.
The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected Trump’s appeal, saying the damages were “fair and reasonable.” The three-judge panel pointed out that Carroll received hundreds of death threats, and Trump’s conduct was “remarkably high” in reprehensibility, possibly unprecedented.
Trump argued that the $65 million punitive damages were far too high and asked for a new trial, especially after the Supreme Court expanded presidential immunity.
However, the appeals court dismissed his claims, saying his attacks on Carroll were “extraordinary and unprecedented,” and the large damages were justified by the seriousness of the case.
Trump’s lawyers released a statement calling the case part of a political “witch hunt.” They demanded an end to what they described as the weaponization of the justice system.
Despite losing the appeal, Trump’s legal team is expected to take the case to the Supreme Court.
The court found strong evidence that Trump ignored Carroll’s safety while labeling her a liar and mocking her looks.
Judges noted that he suggested Carroll was too unattractive to be assaulted and threatened that she would “pay dearly” for speaking up.
This ruling involves the second defamation award against Trump, which was larger than the first. Carroll first accused Trump in her 2019 memoir of sexually assaulting her in a Manhattan department store in the 1990s. Trump denied the allegation and began attacking her publicly.
Carroll testified that she met Trump at Bergdorf Goodman’s department store in 1996. She said they joked around while shopping, but things turned violent in a dressing room, where Trump allegedly forced himself on her.
At the first trial, jurors found Trump responsible for sexual abuse but not rape under New York law. They awarded Carroll $5 million in damages for the assault and for Trump’s later denials after leaving office.
The court then held a second trial to determine damages for Trump’s comments while president in 2019, where he repeatedly called Carroll a liar.
This second jury awarded her $83.3 million, the bulk of which was punitive damages meant to punish Trump.
On Monday, the appeals court said the trial judge made no mistakes and that the jury’s decision was fair considering Trump’s repeated and harsh attacks. The judges said Trump continued insulting Carroll for years, even during the trial.
The court noted that Trump’s attacks became worse as the trial neared.
In fact, two days after the trial began, he declared that he would keep defaming Carroll “a thousand times,” showing no sign of stopping.
