Appeals Court Shuts Down Trump’s Bid to Escape Defamation Verdict in E. Jean Carroll Case

Donald Trump suffered a significant legal setback on Wednesday when a federal appeals court declined to rehear his appeal in the $83 million defamation lawsuit brought by E. Jean Carroll. The court’s refusal effectively upholds a 2022 jury verdict that found Trump defamed Carroll by denying her sexual assault allegations, mocking her appearance, and accusing her of fabricating the story to boost book sales.

This case, among the most embarrassing convictions in Trump’s post-presidency legal battles, stems from Carroll’s allegations that Trump sexually abused her in a New York department store in the mid-1990s. A separate jury later held Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation related to this assault claim and his public denials in 2019.

Trump has tried to evade responsibility by arguing that the U.S. Department of Justice should replace him as the defendant, claiming presidential immunity shields him from defamation suits. Since the DOJ cannot be sued for defamation, this tactic aimed to derail the case entirely. However, the appeals court majority rejected this argument, affirming that presidential immunity can be waived—and that Trump waived his right to assert it by failing to raise it as a defense earlier in the proceedings.

U.S. Circuit Judge Denny Chin, writing for the majority, emphasized that “if any other litigant had failed to raise an affirmative defense in this way, there would be no question as to whether he waived his right to assert it.” This ruling reinforces that Trump cannot use his former office as a shield for personal misconduct and false statements.

The appeals court’s decision now leaves Trump with the slim option of petitioning the U.S. Supreme Court to review the case. The high court has previously set a precedent in 2024 establishing broad criminal immunity for presidents acting in their official capacity, but it remains to be seen if it will extend such protections to defamation claims tied to personal conduct.

Trump continues to deny all wrongdoing despite the mounting legal judgments against him. But this ruling marks a clear judicial rejection of his attempts to rewrite the rules to avoid accountability for defaming a sexual assault survivor.

For a former president who has weaponized the justice system to reward loyalty and punish critics, this loss is a reminder that the courts can still hold him to account—even when he tries to claim immunity and dodge responsibility. The E. Jean Carroll case stands as a stark example of Trump’s ongoing legal troubles stemming from his pattern of lies, abuse, and disregard for the rule of law.