Former President Donald Trump publicly criticized E. Jean Carroll following the Supreme Court's decision to reject his appeal of a $5 million civil judgment. The court's refusal means Trump will likely have to pay the damages awarded to Carroll.
Trump took to Truth Social to denounce the case, referring to it as a "Fake Case" brought by a woman he claims he never met, excluding a past celebrity photo with her husband. He vowed to continue contesting what he called "lawfare" with "all of my power and strength."
He also stated that a New York law created for a brief period, designed to target him, was "tailormade" and an "Injustice cannot be allowed to stand."
Carroll, an author, sued Trump in 2022. She alleged that he sexually assaulted her in a dressing room at Bergdorf Goodman department store in New York City in the spring of 1996. Carroll also claimed Trump defamed her by asserting she fabricated the story to increase sales of her book.
A jury found Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation in a civil trial. The jury awarded Carroll $5 million in damages. Trump had previously placed $5.5 million into a court-controlled account following the verdict in 2023.
In a separate defamation case filed in 2019, Carroll was awarded $83.3 million in a jury verdict against Trump. This amount has since increased to over $100 million with accrued interest. Trump is also pursuing a separate appeal to the Supreme Court regarding this larger verdict.
Trump's legal team argued in a January filing to the Supreme Court that forcing him to divert attention from official duties "threatens the fabric of our republic." They also contended that the "mistreatment of a President cannot be allowed to stand."
Both a three-judge panel and the full Second Circuit Court of Appeals had previously rejected Trump's argument that presidential immunity should shield him from liability in the defamation case. Trump's appeal was rejected last year by the 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals, which determined that the presiding judge's decisions did not warrant a new trial. Trump appealed again before a separate panel of judges in June 2025, but lost before bringing the case to the Supreme Court.
Trump had previously expressed dissatisfaction with the judge overseeing the 2022 case, Lewis Kaplan, citing his decision to allow testimony from two other women who accused Trump of sexual assault. Trump's lawyers also argued that the judge should not have permitted the jury to view the Access Hollywood tape from 2005, in which Trump made lewd comments about women.
The Supreme Court had held Trump's appeal for several months, repeatedly delaying its scheduling for review. The court has not provided a reason for these delays. Trump's attorneys are expected to continue their efforts to appeal the $83 million verdict.