Appeals court upholds Trump’s $83 million defamation penalty

The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday upheld a civil jury’s ruling that President Donald Trump must pay $83.3 million in damages to writer E. Jean Carroll for making defamatory statements against her after she accused him of sexual assault. Trump appealed the jury’s decision, arguing that the penalties were excessive and that he should either be granted a new trial or full immunity from prosecution following a Supreme Court decision expanding presidential immunity.

But a three-judge panel found the penalty to be reasonable, noting that Carroll faced hundreds of death threats due to Trump’s comments. The government is likely to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court.

The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in 2024 upheld a lower court’s ruling the previous year finding Trump liable for sexual abuse of Carroll in a civil case she filed.

Dig deeper: Read Christina Grube’s report on the civil jury’s previous ruling against Trump.