NEWSSupreme Court Rejects Donald Trump's Bid to Overturn $5 Million E. Jean Carroll Verdict
The Supreme Court declined to take up Donald Trump's challenge to a civil verdict against him.
July 2 2026, Published 5:31 a.m. ET
President Donald Trump’s long-running legal fight with E. Jean Carroll hit another wall Monday when the Supreme Court declined to take up his challenge to a $5 million civil verdict against him.
The decision leaves in place a federal jury’s 2023 finding that Trump sexually abused Carroll in a department store dressing room in the 1990s and later defamed her. Trump has repeatedly denied wrongdoing. The Supreme Court issued its decision in an unexplained order, with no public dissents.
The Verdict Stands
The $5 million verdict in E. Jean Carroll's case remained in place.
Trump’s lawyers had argued that District Judge Lewis Kaplan improperly allowed jurors to hear testimony from two other women who accused Trump of sexual assault years earlier. They also objected to jurors seeing the 2005 Access Hollywood tape, in which Trump was recorded saying he could grope women because he was famous.
The Second U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals previously upheld the verdict. By declining the case, the Supreme Court left Trump owing Carroll the $5 million awarded by the jury.
His legal team argued that District Judge Lewis Kaplan improperly allowed jurors to consider key evidence.
“The court did nothing more than uphold the jury in our system,” said Constitutional scholar Robert J. “Bob” McWhirter, chair of the nonpartisan Rule of Law PAC and author of Fixing the Framers Failure.
“Trump complained that the jury should never have heard his prior statements about women, including grabbing them by the private parts. The judge allowed in basic evidence and made no mistakes,” he added. “Donald Trump lost by a jury of his peers. That’s what America’s legal system is all about!”
- Donald Trump Seeks to Delay $83 Million E. Jean Carroll Payout as Legal Fight Heads Toward Supreme Court
- Donald Trump Calls for the 'Swift Dismissal of All Political Witch Hunts' After Losing $5 Million E. Jean Carroll Appeal
- Donald Trump 'Slammed the Table in Anger' During E. Jean Carroll's Testimony, Called Judge a 'Nasty Guy'
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Donald Trump’s Public Reaction
Donald Trump criticized the court's decision on social media.
Trump responded on Truth Social by claiming the case was “really against the United States of America” and writing, “Injustice cannot be allowed to stand!”
The $5 million verdict came from Carroll’s 2022 lawsuit, which went to trial before her earlier 2019 defamation case. That separate case later resulted in an $83 million verdict against Trump. With interest, he owes Carroll more than $100 million in total. His team is still expected to appeal the $83 million verdict to the Supreme Court.
The Media Spotlight Returns
The ruling renewed public attention on the case.
Forensic psychiatrist Dr. Carole Lieberman said the decision will likely keep the case in the public conversation.
“Legal outcomes like this become a new reason for the media to cover the story,” she said, “and to frame it with more self-righteousness against President Trump, despite there having been many legal mistakes in the original trial and no real proof of her story.”
