Judicial Affirmation of Landmark Penalty
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit unanimously upheld a jury’s $83.3 million verdict against President Donald Trump for defaming author E. Jean Carroll, whom he was found to have sexually assaulted in the 1990s. The ruling, issued on September 8, 2025, affirmed that the damages were "reasonable in light of the extraordinary and egregious facts of this case," citing Trump’s "remarkably high, perhaps unprecedented" degree of reprehensibility. The verdict includes $65 million in punitive damages, $7.3 million in compensatory damages, and $11 million for a reputational repair campaign, exceeding Carroll’s initial request for $10 million.
Trump’s Defense Strategies
Trump’s legal team argued that presidential immunity shielded him from liability, particularly for statements made in 2019 through White House channels. The appeals court rejected this, noting that his denials of Carroll’s assault allegations concerned "quintessentially personal conduct" unrelated to official duties. The court also dismissed Trump’s claim that a recent Supreme Court ruling on immunity applied to this civil case, stating it did not warrant reconsideration. Additionally, Trump’s attempt to relitigate the truthfulness of Carroll’s allegations was barred, as a prior jury had already found him liable for sexual abuse and defamation in a 2023 trial.
Impact on Carroll and Evidence of Harm
Carroll, now 81, testified that Trump’s repeated defamatory statements, including calling her a "liar" and "not my type" triggered hundreds of death threats, cost her her career at Elle magazine, and caused severe emotional distress. The court emphasized that Trump’s attacks intensified over five years, becoming "more extreme and frequent" as trials approached, and included during-trial statements vowing to defame Carroll "a thousand times". The $65 million punitive award aimed to deter future defamation, given Trump’s "malice and deceit".
Political Reactions and Ongoing Legal Battles
Trump’s spokesperson condemned the ruling as "Liberal Lawfare" and part of a "Democrat-funded travesty," vowing to continue fighting while focusing on his presidential campaign. Carroll’s lawyer, Roberta Kaplan, welcomed the decision, stating, "We look forward to an end to the appellate process so that justice will finally be done". The verdict adds to Trump’s legal liabilities, including a separate $5 million judgment upheld in June 2025 for sexual abuse and defamation.
Broader Implications for Accountability
The ruling reinforces that public figures, including presidents, can be held civilly accountable for personal conduct. The court noted that Trump’s persistent defamation demonstrated "reckless indifference" to Carroll’s safety, justifying the unprecedented penalty. With interest accruing at New York’s 9% annual rate, the financial burden on Trump continues to grow. The case may now advance to the Supreme Court, though legal experts consider further appeals unlikely to succeed.