Appeals Court Refuses Trump's Request to Rehear $83M E. Jean Carroll Defamation Verdict

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit denied Donald Trump's request for an en banc rehearing of his appeal challenging the $83.3 million defamation judgment awarded to writer E. Jean Carroll. The court rejected Trump's arguments regarding presidential immunity and substituting the United States as a defendant, stating these claims were raised too late in the proceedings. This decision exhausts Trump's options at the appellate level, leaving only a potential Supreme Court appeal. The case stems from Trump's 2019 defamatory statements about Carroll's sexual assault allegations, for which a jury awarded damages in January 2024. This ruling represents continued legal accountability for Trump's documented pattern of attacking and defaming Carroll, reinforcing the consequences of his bullying behavior toward a sexual assault survivor.