Trump Fails in Appeals Court - $83 Million Judgment to E. Jean Carroll Upheld

Donald Trump has failed once again. A federal appeals court in Manhattan has upheld the verdict requiring the president to pay $83.3 million to author E. Jean Carroll. The sum had been imposed by a jury in January 2024 - as compensation and at the same time as a clear message to a man who had publicly mocked the plaintiff for years. The three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit made it clear in a unanimous, unsigned decision: the attempt by Trump's lawyers to overturn the verdict by referring to the Supreme Court's immunity decision was unfounded. The decision of the highest court, which grants the president extensive protection for official acts, cannot be applied to personal defamation. Trump's statements about Carroll - including calling her a "liar" and a "fraud" - were not part of his official conduct but of a private nature.

Thus, one of the largest monetary penalties ever imposed for defamation remains in full effect. Carroll had accused Trump of raping her in a New York department store dressing room in the late 1990s. An earlier jury had already found him civilly liable for sexual assault and defamation in May 2023. The current case concerned statements Trump made in 2019 as sitting president about Carroll after she had made her allegations public. What is explosive is that Trump did not end his attacks even while the trial was ongoing. He used press conferences, social media posts and even court breaks to attack Carroll and question her credibility. Carroll's lawyers therefore argued that only a very substantial penalty could deter him from further defamation. The jury followed this argument - and the appeals court has now confirmed that this amount is justified.

Legally, the ruling is a signal: it makes clear that presidential immunity is not unlimited. Personal insults, the judges said, are not "official acts," even if they are committed during the term of office. This also creates a precedent that sets clear limits for future presidents if they engage in personal attacks against political opponents or critics. Politically, the decision hits Trump at a sensitive moment. The president is already facing numerous other lawsuits, from claims by former employees to proceedings concerning his business practices. The confirmation of the penalty may now allow Carroll's lawyers to initiate enforcement proceedings if Trump does not pay. Observers expect that Trump will use the ruling as an opportunity to once again present himself as a victim of an alleged "deep state" - a narrative he has cultivated since the beginning of his second term.

For Carroll, today is another legal victory. She said after the announcement that she hoped this would be "the last chapter" in a long, exhausting battle that had cost her personally and professionally. "It was never just about me," she said, "but about the question of whether even the most powerful man in the country can defame women with impunity." That this question has now been clarified by the highest courts sends a clear signal: even a president is not above the law. And the $83 million is not just compensation but a warning - to Trump and to all who believe that public defamation is a legitimate political tool.