On Monday (Dec. 30), the Second U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a $5 million judgment awarded to columnist E. Jean Carroll in her civil case against President-elect Donald Trump. In 2023, a jury found Trump liable for sexually abusing Carroll and defaming her after she went public. Trump vehemently denied the claims and appealed the verdict, describing it as “grossly excessive” and asserting that unfair rulings during the nine-day trial warranted its dismissal.
“We conclude that Mr. Trump has not demonstrated that the district court erred in any of the challenged rulings. Further, he has not carried his burden to show that any claimed error or combination of claimed errors affected his substantial rights as required to warrant a new trial,” read the court’s decision, per NBC News.
Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung criticized the ruling. “The American people have re-elected President Trump with an overwhelming mandate,” he stated before adding, “They demand an immediate end to the political weaponization of our justice system and a swift dismissal of all of the witch hunts, including the Democrat-funded Carroll hoax, which will continue to be appealed.” Meanwhile, Carroll’s attorney, Roberta Kaplan, expressed gratitude for the court’s decision. “We thank the Second Circuit for its careful consideration of the parties’ arguments,” she expressed.
As REVOLT previously reported, Carroll’s lawsuit centered on claims that Trump sexually assaulted her in a Manhattan department store dressing room in 1996. Trump did not testify or present a defense but appealed on grounds that U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan made critical errors, including allowing testimony from two other women who accused Trump of sexual misconduct.
Jessica Leeds testified that the incoming head of state groped her during a flight in the late 1970s, while Natasha Stoynoff described an incident in 2005 at Mar-a-Lago where Trump allegedly pushed her against a wall and forcibly kissed her. Trump denied both accusations. Additionally, his legal team objected to the jury hearing the infamous “Access Hollywood” tape from 2005, where he was recorded making statements about groping women without their consent. The appeals court upheld Kaplan’s decision to admit this evidence, stating it demonstrated a “pattern” corroborating witness testimony and the alleged assault.
Separately, Trump is appealing an $83 million defamation judgment stemming from another case filed by Carroll, which focuses on comments he made during his first term and after the initial $5 million verdict. That case was delayed by Trump’s arguments for presidential immunity, which were ultimately rejected by U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan.