Supreme Court denies Trump's second bid to overturn Carroll damages

Former President Donald Trump has filed a petition with the United States Supreme Court seeking to overturn a jury verdict that awarded former columnist E. Jean Carroll $5 million in damages for defamation. The request marks the second time Trump has asked the nation’s highest court to reverse the award, which stems from a 2023 trial that found his denial of Carroll’s 1990s sexual‑assault allegation to be false and defamatory.

Carroll sued Trump in 2019 after he publicly dismissed her claim that he had raped her in a Manhattan department store. A New York jury concluded that Trump’s statements were defamatory and ordered him to pay $5 million in compensatory damages. Trump appealed the decision to the New York Court of Appeals, which upheld the verdict, and subsequently submitted a petition for a writ of certiorari to the Supreme Court, repeating the legal arguments he raised in his earlier filing.

The Supreme Court has not yet ruled on whether to hear the case, and a decision on the petition could determine whether the damages award remains in force. The outcome will add to the series of legal challenges facing Trump and will be closely watched for its implications on defamation law and the accountability of public figures.