Trump’s Carroll Legal Battle Intensifies as Supreme Court Rejects His Latest Appeal
The Supreme Court’s latest action, announced Monday, August 17, rejected Trump’s request to reconsider the justices’ earlier refusal to hear his appeal. The court did not provide an explanation, which is typical when the Supreme Court denies a request for rehearing.
The decision leaves in place a 2023 jury verdict that found Trump liable for sexually abusing Carroll and defaming her. The jury awarded Carroll approximately $5 million in damages.
Trump has repeatedly denied Carroll’s allegations and has described the claims as a “hoax” and a politically motivated attack. His legal team has continued to argue that the trial was unfair and that the verdict should not stand.
But after years of appeals, the latest Supreme Court decision means the $5 million judgment is now effectively final.
Supreme Court Refuses to Reopen the Case
Trump’s lawyers had already asked the Supreme Court to hear the case, but the justices declined in June 2026. Trump subsequently asked the court to reconsider that decision.
That request has now also been rejected.
The Supreme Court rarely grants requests for rehearing, making Trump's latest effort a difficult legal path from the beginning. With Monday's order, there is no further Supreme Court review available in this particular appeal.
Carroll’s attorney Roberta Kaplan welcomed the decision, saying the jury's verdict is now final.
Trump, meanwhile, continues to maintain that the case against him was unjust.
What the Jury Actually Decided
The legal dispute centers on allegations dating back to the 1990s, when Carroll said Trump sexually assaulted her inside a dressing room at the Bergdorf Goodman department store in Manhattan.
Trump has denied the allegation and has said he did not know Carroll in the way she claimed.
The case eventually went before a federal jury in New York in 2023.
The jury did not find Trump liable for rape under the legal definition presented to it. Instead, jurors found him liable for sexual abuse and defamation and awarded Carroll approximately $5 million in damages.
The verdict became one of the most politically controversial civil cases involving Trump.
Trump and his supporters have argued that the case represented an example of politically motivated litigation. Carroll and her attorneys have maintained that the jury's decision was based on the evidence presented during the trial.
Trump Has Already Paid the Judgment
The Supreme Court’s refusal to take up the case also has a financial consequence.
After the court rejected Trump's earlier appeal, Carroll's side moved forward with collecting the judgment. Including interest, the amount paid was more than the original $5 million award, with reports putting the total at roughly $5.6 million to $5.8 million.
That means the immediate financial dispute surrounding this particular verdict has effectively been resolved.
However, the broader legal conflict between Trump and Carroll is not over.
The Bigger $83.3 Million Verdict
A separate Carroll case resulted in a much larger jury award.
In January 2024, another federal jury awarded Carroll $83.3 million in damages for defamation arising from Trump's public statements about her.
That case is legally separate from the $5 million judgment that the Supreme Court has now left standing.
Trump has continued to challenge the $83.3 million award, and his legal team has taken the dispute to the Supreme Court. In July 2026, Trump asked the justices to overturn that judgment, arguing in part that presidential immunity should protect him from liability for statements made while he was president.
The Justice Department has also become involved in the separate case, adding another important constitutional dimension to the dispute.
Why Presidential Immunity Matters
Trump’s latest legal strategy focuses heavily on presidential immunity.
His lawyers argue that statements made while he was serving as president should receive legal protection under federal law. The issue is particularly significant because the Supreme Court ruled in 2024 that former presidents have substantial immunity from criminal prosecution for official acts.
But Carroll's litigation is civil rather than criminal, meaning the question of how presidential immunity applies is more complicated.
The Supreme Court has not yet ruled on Trump's separate challenge to the $83.3 million judgment.
A Battle That Has Lasted for Years
The Carroll-Trump dispute began publicly in 2019, when Carroll accused Trump of sexually assaulting her years earlier and later defaming her when he denied the allegation.
Trump responded forcefully, repeatedly attacking Carroll's credibility and denying that the alleged incident occurred.
Carroll eventually brought multiple lawsuits.
The first major jury verdict came in 2023, when jurors found Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation and awarded Carroll approximately $5 million.
The second major verdict came in 2024, when another jury awarded Carroll $83.3 million for defamation.
Trump has fought both judgments through multiple levels of the U.S. legal system.
Political Fallout
The case also continues to generate political debate.
Trump's supporters have portrayed the litigation as evidence of what they describe as politically motivated legal attacks against him. His critics, however, argue that the jury verdicts and subsequent court rulings demonstrate that the cases were decided through the judicial process rather than by political institutions.
The Supreme Court's latest refusal is particularly notable because Trump has appointed three of the court's justices.
Despite the court's conservative majority, the justices have now twice declined to revisit the $5 million Carroll verdict.
What Comes Next?
The latest Supreme Court order closes an important chapter, but it does not end Trump's legal fight with Carroll.
The $5 million judgment is now final, while the separate $83.3 million defamation judgment remains the much larger unresolved dispute.
The Supreme Court will ultimately have to decide whether to take up Trump's challenge to that second judgment. The case could raise significant questions about presidential immunity, the responsibilities of presidents and the limits of civil liability for statements made while in office.
For Trump, the latest ruling represents another unsuccessful attempt to overturn a jury verdict.
For Carroll, it represents the conclusion of one of the most closely watched civil cases involving a U.S. president in modern American history.
The Bottom Line
The Supreme Court has once again refused to intervene in Donald Trump's $5 million E. Jean Carroll case, leaving the 2023 jury verdict intact. Trump continues to deny Carroll's allegations and has characterized the case as a “hoax,” while the courts have found him civilly liable for sexual abuse and defamation.
The separate $83.3 million defamation judgment, however, remains an active legal battle and could put the issue of presidential immunity before the Supreme Court.
This article distinguishes between allegations, statements made by the parties, and findings reached by juries and courts. Trump denies Carroll's allegations.
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