Trump petitions Supreme Court to overturn $83.3 million Carroll defamation judgment

President Donald Trump filed a petition with the Supreme Court on Tuesday seeking to overturn an $83.3 million defamation judgment awarded to writer E. Jean Carroll. The request follows a prior $5 million damages verdict in a related sexual-abuse and defamation case that Trump also lost.

Carroll’s lawsuit stemmed from statements Trump made during his first term, including calling her a "whack job" and denying ever meeting her. A jury found Trump liable for defamation based on those denials, separate from the earlier finding of liability for sexual abuse.

Trump’s legal team argues that an appeals panel erred by not addressing whether presidential immunity applied to the statements made while he was in office. They contend the Westfall Act shields him because the remarks were made in his official capacity as a federal employee.

The Justice Department, now led by former Trump criminal-defense lawyer Todd Blanche, supports the petition, maintaining that the president should be protected from liability for statements issued from the White House in response to press inquiries.

Carroll’s attorney, Roberta Kaplan, did not comment on the Supreme Court filing. The $83.3 million judgment has been held in a court-controlled account since 2024, with interest accrual still unclear.