Trump loses second Supreme Court bid over E Jean Carroll sex abuse case
Al Jazeera
β’Mon, 17 Aug 2026 20:46:34 +0000
π° What Happened
The US Supreme Court denied, for the second time, US President Donald Trump's appeal in a 2023 civil suit brought by writer E Jean Carroll, who alleged that he sexually abused and defamed her. The court's August order list rejected Trump's request to reconsider its June decision, which had declined to review the jury verdict finding him liable for sexual abuse and defamation. Carroll's attorney said the unanimous jury verdict is now final and cannot be challenged in any court. Carroll has already collected the roughly $5.8 million judgement plus interest.
π The Backstory
The litigation dates to 2019, when the former Elle advice columnist published a memoir excerpt alleging that Trump raped her in a department store dressing room in Manhattan in the 1990s. A jury awarded Carroll $5 million in the 2023 case, which concerned Trump's 2022 social media statements calling her claim a 'hoax' and a 'con job'. She later won a separate defamation suit, and Trump is also appealing that $83.3 million judgement to the Supreme Court, arguing that presidential immunity protects his statements.
π― Why It Matters
The ruling is a notable legal setback for a sitting US president, effectively closing off this avenue of appeal on the abuse and defamation verdict. It renews focus on the limits of presidential immunity, a question set to be tested again in Trump's separate $83.3 million appeal. For Carroll, the decision brings a years-long legal battle over two jury verdicts to a firm conclusion.
The US Supreme Court denied, for the second time, US President Donald Trump's appeal in a 2023 civil suit brought by writer E Jean Carroll, who alleged that he sexually abused and defamed her. The court's August order list rejected Trump's request to reconsider its June decision, which had declined to review the jury verdict finding him liable for sexual abuse and defamation. Carroll's attorney said the unanimous jury verdict is now final and cannot be challenged in any court. Carroll has already collected the roughly $5.8 million judgement plus interest.
The litigation dates to 2019, when the former Elle advice columnist published a memoir excerpt alleging that Trump raped her in a department store dressing room in Manhattan in the 1990s. A jury awarded Carroll $5 million in the 2023 case, which concerned Trump's 2022 social media statements calling her claim a 'hoax' and a 'con job'. She later won a separate defamation suit, and Trump is also appealing that $83.3 million judgement to the Supreme Court, arguing that presidential immunity protects his statements.
The ruling is a notable legal setback for a sitting US president, effectively closing off this avenue of appeal on the abuse and defamation verdict. It renews focus on the limits of presidential immunity, a question set to be tested again in Trump's separate $83.3 million appeal. For Carroll, the decision brings a years-long legal battle over two jury verdicts to a firm conclusion.