In a significant legal defeat for former President Donald Trump, a federal appeals court has denied his attempt to overturn the $83.3 million defamation judgment awarded to writer E. Jean Carroll. The ruling, issued Monday by the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, upholds the verdict handed down earlier this year, affirming that Trump defamed Carroll when he repeatedly denied her sexual assault allegations and launched a series of public attacks on her character.
Carroll, a former Elle magazine columnist, first accused Trump in 2019 of raping her in a department store dressing room in the 1990s. Trump, then serving as president, dismissed her claims as “a complete con job” and “a lie,” prompting Carroll to file a defamation lawsuit. After years of legal back-and-forth, a New York jury ruled in Carroll’s favor in January 2024, awarding her over $83 million in damages — a sum that included both compensatory and punitive amounts for Trump’s repeated public denials and insults.
The appeals court’s latest decision marks a crucial step in holding Trump accountable for statements made both during and after his presidency. In its opinion, the three-judge panel rejected Trump’s argument that his comments were protected as presidential acts, noting that his remarks “fell far outside the scope of official duties” and were instead “personal in nature and vindictive in tone.”
Carroll, now 80, responded to the ruling with a brief but emotional statement through her attorney, Roberta Kaplan. “This is not just a victory for me,” she said, “but for every woman who has been silenced, mocked, or disbelieved. Truth matters — even when it takes years to be heard.” Kaplan added that the decision “sets a strong precedent that no one, not even a former president, is above the law.”
Trump’s legal team quickly signaled that they plan to appeal the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court, framing the ruling as part of what they called a “politically motivated attack.” In a post on Truth Social, Trump blasted the judgment as “a total witch hunt” and again denied ever meeting Carroll, despite photographic evidence introduced during trial that showed the two interacting at a social event decades ago.
Legal analysts say the ruling is not just a setback for Trump financially, but a symbolic blow to his broader effort to cast legal proceedings against him as partisan persecution. “The appeals court’s opinion was methodical and measured,” said former federal prosecutor Barbara McQuade. “It demonstrates that the judiciary is still willing to stand on principle, even in politically charged cases involving powerful figures.”
The decision also adds to Trump’s growing list of legal challenges as he campaigns for a return to the White House in 2025. He faces multiple ongoing cases, including charges related to efforts to overturn the 2020 election and the handling of classified documents. While the defamation case is civil, the accumulation of court losses has weighed heavily on his campaign’s image and finances.
For Carroll, the outcome represents a form of closure after years of relentless public scrutiny. She has continued to speak openly about the toll the case took on her life, describing in interviews how she received threats and endured public humiliation following her allegations. “This was never about money,” she said in one recent interview. “It was about standing up and telling the truth — and making sure he couldn’t silence me anymore.”
With the appeals court’s decision now on record, the case stands as one of the most prominent examples of a powerful public figure being held accountable for defaming a private citizen. And as Trump vows to continue fighting, Carroll’s message remains clear: justice, though delayed, has arrived.
