NEW YORK — A federal appeals court has upheld a jury’s decision requiring President Donald Trump to pay E. Jean Carroll $83.3 million in damages following his repeated attacks against the writer after she accused him of sexual assault. The ruling was issued by the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday.
The court rejected Trump’s appeal against the defamation award, stating that the jury’s damages were “fair and reasonable.” A three-judge panel emphasized the severity of the case, citing the numerous death threats Carroll received as a result of Trump’s public statements. The judges described the president’s conduct as “remarkably high, perhaps unprecedented” in its reprehensibility.
Trump had characterized the damages as excessively harsh, particularly the $65 million in punitive damages, and sought a new trial, especially in light of a recent Supreme Court ruling that expanded presidential immunity. However, the appeals court firmly dismissed these claims, attributing the substantial award to the “unique and egregious facts” of the case.
Lawyers representing Trump spoke out against the ruling, asserting the need for an end to what they termed the “political weaponization” of the justice system, labeling the case as part of a broader pattern of political attacks. It is anticipated that the matter will escalate to the Supreme Court.
In their ruling, the judges pointed to evidence that Trump exhibited reckless disregard for Carroll’s safety and mental well-being. They cited his derogatory remarks, implying Carroll was motivated solely by personal gain, and suggested that she was too unattractive to be assaulted by him, stating she would “pay dearly” for her accusations.
Carroll’s attorney, Roberta Kaplan, expressed satisfaction with the court’s affirmation of her client’s truthfulness and the acknowledgment of the threats she faced. Kaplan indicated that Carroll is eager to conclude the appellate process.
The case centers on Trump’s continued attacks on Carroll, which began following her 2019 memoir, where she accused him of sexually assaulting her in the mid-1990s. In her book and during court appearances, Carroll recounted an incident at Bergdorf Goodman, detailing how their initial encounter escalated into a violent incident in a dressing room.
In a prior trial, a jury found Trump liable for sexual abuse but determined that he did not meet the legal definitions of rape under New York law. Following that, another jury awarded Carroll $5 million, taking into account Trump’s denials and attacks after his presidency.
During the second trial regarding damages, which occurred amid Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign, he attended but did not appear at the first. His defense team was barred from introducing claims of his innocence, as those had been settled in the first trial.
The appeals court upheld the trial judge’s rulings on the matter, asserting that the damages awarded were appropriate. They noted that Trump’s derogatory statements continued even during the trial, making his comments “extreme and frequent” as proceedings progressed.
In one instance, just two days into the trial, Trump indicated he would continue to disparage Carroll, proclaiming that he could do so “a thousand times.”
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